Roses of Plenty
by arch angel3
Summary: An immortal Lily James fic, pretty cute, I pride myself on my romance fics, so check it out!
1. So this is witchcraft...

_~*Roses of Plenty*~_

_ *Chapter One*_

_So This Is Witchcraft..._

_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, I take no credit whatsoever for them. Please enjoy the fic..._

_*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*_

Lily looked closely at the letter, hardly daring to believe what it all said. She glanced up at her mother. "Mum...?" 

Mrs. Peterson could only stare back. Her face was red and flustered, and she had not the slightest clue to what was happening. 

From behind them issued a large wail. "Mu-um!" A small, horse-faced and bony child stood atop a chair, bellowing at her mother. 

Mrs. Peterson glared at her dangerously. "Petunia...!" 

Petunia quickly shut her mouth, but her face had gone splotchy in disbelief at the letter tightly clutched inside of her sister's hand. "What do those freak people want with her?" 

Lily felt herself going hot all over. Under her breath, she quietly muttered, "They're not freaks, and if you say it again I'll slap you so hard --" 

"Lily!" 

"Sorry..." Lily wanted to hide, to disappear, to do anything to get away from the rest of her family, who all stood peering at her through wide and curious eyes. After receiving this letter, her life would be changed forever... imagine the fun that her schoolmates would poke at her... 

A small voice rang inside of Lily's head. "_Ah, but you won't_ be _going to school with them, will you_?" 

Lily sighed and said aloud, "If what it says is true..." 

Petunia and Mrs. Peterson looked at her. "What?" 

Lily blushed deeply. "Nothing, nothing..." 

Across Petunia's thin face, a wicked smile spread steadily. "Lily's going mad, just like the lot of them who sent her the invitation." Her eyes sparkled maliciously. "So, Mum, does this mean that Lily's a wit--" 

Mrs. Peterson clapped a hand to her mouth. Lily could feel her face burning. "Mum, make her stop it, there's nothing wrong with any--" 

She looked up at her mother, who's eyes were filled with tears. Lily's face went blank. "What?" 

Mrs. Peterson drew Lily into a tight hug. "Oh, Lily, we're so proud..!" 

Lily laughed. "Mum, please..." 

Lily stole a glance at Petunia, and she sincerely wished she hadn't. Petunia's upper lip was curling horribly, her eyes were narrowed, and she was letting out a noise that sounding remarkably like snarling. 

Lily pulled away from her mother. "Mum, I don't think Petunia's too pleased..." 

Mrs. Peterson took a sharp look at her daughter. "Yes, Petunia dear, we'll have to let you off somewhere while we pick up Lily's school supplies, is that all right with you?" She took Lily's list, shaking her head and laughing. 

Petunia looked up at her as if she were absolutely mad. "Yeah, whatever." With these words, she stormed out of the room with her nose held high in the air. 

Lily burst into laughter. Brimming with cheerfulness, she asked her mother, "So, when do we go get my stuff?" 

Mrs. Peterson bent close to her and whispered, "As soon as we figure out where to go." 

Z Z Z Z Z

Mrs. Peterson peered over Lily's shoulder. 

"Lily, dear, what does it say?" 

Lily pushed the letter towards her mother. 

"Thanks..." Mrs. Peterson pushed up the glasses on the bridge of her nose, and read the untidy scrawl skillfully. 

To the parents of Lily Peterson,   
I am proud to say that another one has joined the ranks of Hogwarts, and that, if necessary, we would be happy to show her and the folks the lots of Diagon Alley to gather her supplies, and exchange currency. Meet me at the nearest underground, and rest assured I'll be there.   
-Rubeous Hagrid, Hogwarts Gamekeeper

Mrs. Peterson blanched. "The nearest underground? Is he a bit mad? How will he know where to go--" 

Lily sighed. "I don't know, but it'd be in our highest spirits that we take the chance, then, if it fails..." She looked hopefully at her mother. "The least we can do is try." 

Her mother nodded, then grabbed a thick jacket off of the coat rack. "Come on, Lily, we don't want to be late..." The tone in which she used was unconvincing, but Lily heeded the words, and followed after her. She locked the door swiftly behind her, then stepped uneasily into the small Ford. 

Mrs. Peterson pushed hard against the accelerator, and the car burst out of the driveway at full speed. Lily held the letter tightly to her chest, as if holding onto it for good luck. She could only hope that this crazy idea would work... 

It was hard to keep this pleasant view in mind, however. Lily couldn't help but cringe when she thought of all the possibilities, waiting to happen. Suppose this was all some cruel joke, that she would be laughed at and tormented forever more? Or, worse still, if it hadn't, the whole thing was real, but it was indeed a mistake... Lily shook her head severely, causing her red hair to bounce wildly off of her shoulders. 

She car suddenly halted to a stop. Lily was caught off guard and slammed face first into the back of her mother's seat. Blood dripped heavily against the seats, floor, and Lily's skirt. Lily watched in horror as red splotches formed upon her white silk skirt. Tears joined the ranks of the blood, and Lily's heart shattered. 

"Mummy!" cried Lily, clutching the letter and the white silk between her one hand. With her other, she was hastily holding the bridge of her nose. 

Mrs. Peterson whirled around in her seat. "Oh Lily--" She took a tissue and began dabbing it across Lily to no effect - the bloodstains were permanent, and Lily's wailing wasn't helping in the least. 

Mrs. Peterson's shrill screech broke the noise. "Lily! Get a hold of yourself --" 

"But my skirt --" 

"Wear your coat, Lily, and be sensible, no one will notice..." Mrs. Peterson's temper was running high, and without further adieu, she took Lily's hand and pulled her out of the car. She ran off to the station with difficulty, tripping occasionally on her high heeled shoes. 

Panting with exhaustion, Lily and Mrs. Peterson sat down upon a bench at the station. "Well," began Lily. "We're here. Now all we've got to do is wait..." 

Lily's mother gave a sarcastic sigh. Apparently she though the whole idea was rubbish, and that they were simply wasting their time. However, this notion proved untrue, for with great pleasure, a large man came striding towards them. 

A dark man with wild hair and a long shaggy beard walked closer. His hands were the size of trash can lids, and his feet were boat like. 

Mrs. Peterson backed away in fear that this was the man named Hagrid. Surely, someone such as this would not be sent out to help navigate a poor young woman and her eleven year old child? 

Her worst fears were confirmed as the man extended a massive hand. 

"Mrs. Peterson, I reckon?" His black eyes glistened. He looked straight at Lily, who was shaking slightly in the shadow of this man. "Yer Lily, I s'pose? Pleased teh meet yeh, th' name's Hagrid." He glanced back at Mrs. Peterson, who's face had gone a sickly pale. "Rubeous Hagrid, gamekeeper of Hogwarts, at yer service." He grinned gaily, but the smile was not returned. Lily had never seem someone so.... _huge_. 

Lily shook her head. She was being horribly prejudiced, but, all the same... She raised her head and smiled weakly at the stranger. 

"Mr. Hagrid, sir, would you be so kind as to direct me and my mother to Dia--" she stole a glance at her first letter, confirming the location, "Diagon Alley, and to help me gather my supplies and exchange money?" Hagrid averted his eyes towards Mrs. Peterson, and noticed that she was indeed clutching a black leather purse; he nodded. 

"Lily, 'course I will, be glad teh. Come wit' me..." Hagrid beckoned the two on, Lily followed bravely, her mother sidestepping through the crowds of people, her face still deathly pale and shaken.   


Lily's head drooped onto her mother's shoulder as she rode through the underground on an itchy plastic seat. She glanced up at her with round, glossy eyes. "When are we going to get there?" 

Mrs. Peterson's lips pursed. "Heavens, how would I know, child?" 

Lily knitted her thin red brows. She shot a look at Hagrid. "Sir, how far are we towards reaching Diagram Alley?" 

Hagrid laughed. "Hold yer horses, wer' almos' at Diagon Alley now..." 

Surely enough, a small but sharp whistle blew, and all passengers exited through the doors. Every one of them turned left but Hagrid, Lily, and Mrs. Peterson. They continued walking towards the right, until they came to a dead end. Towering above them was a large brick wall, covered in dirt and grime. Mrs. Peterson shuddered. Lily's heart raced. Now that this man had got them all alone in the corner of the street, what would he do to them? He was certainly large enough to smash them into a very unpleasantly thought out pulp. Lily tried to block this distracting view from her mind. 

Hagrid, however, grinned warmly. "We're almos' there." From within the depths of his overcoat he pulled out a small - very filly - pink umbrella. Lily watched it curiously, fighting the strong urge to laugh. From the look on Mrs. Peterson's face, her mother apparently felt the same way. 

Hagrid took no notice. He tapped a single brick on the wall three times, and to Lily and her mother's utmost surprise, the brick wall vanished into a hole, exposing a small pub. Lily could make out 'The Leaky Cauldron' on the door sign. Hagrid pocketed the umbrella and said roughly, "Come inside." 

Lily stepped inside quietly. Inside, however, no one took notice of her, it was terribly noisy, and Lily felt her ears would burst. Hagrid, Lily and her mother made their ways steadily back through the pub, occasionally stopping so that Hagrid could catch up on social events with other (Lily assumed) witches and wizards. At last they reached the back, where a small door was located. Hagrid turned it slowly, then pushed it open, revealing a pleasant looking street filled with dozens of quaint little shops. 

Beneath Hagrid's bushy beard they heard, "Diagon Alley." 

Lily's eyes sparkled. Never had she seen so interesting a place, full of mysterious items and fascinating people. Lily's legs longed to run freely through the streets, but she thought better of the opportunity and kept close to her mother and Hagrid. 

Hagrid turned his bushy face towards Mrs. Peterson. "First off, yeh'll be needin' teh exchange yer money, wizardin' shops won't accept none o' yers." 

Mrs. Peterson nodded. She was beginning to get over her fear of this large - but rather friendly - man. "And... where _exactly _will I be needing to go?" 

"Gringotts," replied Hagrid shortly. "Follow me..." He led them through a couple of streets, then stopped at a stretch of white marble steps. This pause only took a moment, though, as he quickly led them inside to a golden rimmed counter. 

"We'll be needin' to exchange some --" 

"Say no more," said a thin man from behind the counter. "Notes, please?" 

Mrs. Peterson reluctantly handed the man a thick wad of ten pound notes. "Thank you," was the man's short dialogue, and he quickly left to busy himself with the money. Before Mrs. Peterson had the chance to tap her feet with impatience, the man had returned. He laid upon the counter a large, royal purple bag. Lily picked the smooth velvet bag up carefully, but the weight was overwhelming, and without warning, all of the bag's contents had scattered across the floor. Small silver coins rolled across the ground, bronze ones landed with a loud clink, and large gold coins bounced off of the smooth marble so harshly that Lily was afraid they would dent it. After the ear shattering noise, Lily buried her face in her hands, burning with humiliation. Through the thin cracks in her fingers, a dry sob filled the air. The man behind the counter laughed heartily at the small girls anguish. 

He reached down and pulled her hands from her eyes. "Come on now, don't be upset, there's a girl --" From within the depths of his deep blue robes he pulled out a thin wand. He directed it at the piles of coins now lying hopelessly across the floor, and whispered under his breath, "Accio!" 

Instantly, as though by magic (which, of course, it was), each and every coin zoomed through the air and landed back inside of the bag, now stabilized between Lily's arms. Her dazzling green eyes went wide with wonder at this simple feat, and she could not have been more impressed. Her mouth hanging open, she added a quick, "Thank you.." 

The banker smiled gently, and said softly, "Anytime, little girl." Lily flushed at the title of 'little girl,' but smiled nonetheless and skipped outside to the streets, Hagrid and her mother trailing behind her. 

Lily took no notice of the two adults standing behind her. She was busy fingering through the strange coins, wondering what on earth they were called, how much they were worth, and what you could do with them. 

Almost instantly, she turned to Hagrid. "Which coins are which, sir?" 

Hagrid laughed. "Yeh can call me Hagrid, Lily." He then sat down next to her upon the marble steps, and pulled out from the bag three different coins. He held a single bronze one up to her. "These here are knuts, they're not worth too much, bet yeh'll need 'em anyhow." He then took a silver one up to her. "Sickles." He gave no identification of them, but Lily understood that the little coin must have been more than the knut, and less than the large and shiny gold one Hagrid now held in his hand. 

"These," said Hagrid. "Are Golden Galleons. They're worth the most, and very valuable, so don' yeh be losin' em." He grinned cheekily, then stood up, grabbing Lily's hand and pulling her up as well. 

"We'd best be goin' to get your school supplies, Lily..." Lily nodded in agreement. Hagrid then turned to Mrs. Peterson, who was standing alone. "If you don' mind me takin' 'er, I think it'd be bes' if me an' Lily could do this together?" 

Mrs. Peterson, who had been longing for an excuse to go, now shook her head delightedly, then left towards the bus station. She knew instinctively that she could trust this Hagrid character, though how she knew it she could not say. However, she left Lily alone with her heart free. 

Lily was neither hurt nor surprised by this, as she too felt safe near Hagrid. She smiled up at him, and let him lead her towards a small shop, windows filled with sticks. At least, this was what Lily had originally thought. 

Hagrid walked Lily into the shop, and she at last realized what was filling up the display windows to the fact that they were brimming over. 

_Wands._

An innocent smile crept across Lily's face. She turned up to face Hagrid. "Sir - uh, I mean, Hagrid... am I going to get a wand?" 

Hagrid smiled and nodded. He then pushed open the doors and led Lily in.   


About half an hour later, Lily Peterson walked out of the shop, a triumphant smile upon her face. She was beaming with pride, holding the long, thin, and flexible wand between her fingers. 

"Unicorn hair, birch, nice choice..." said Hagrid. **_(a/n : sorry, but I really don't remember which wand type Lily had)_** Lily grinned. 

"Thanks." She kept fiddling with the wand, not knowing what on earth it was good for, or what spells or charms she could cast with it, but all the same, it gave her a strong sense of power. It's smooth texture and creamy color had cast it's spell upon her... 

Hagrid had suddenly clapped his enormous hand upon her should, shaking her a bit. After being a bit shaken, she asked between small fits of laughter, "What was that for?" 

Hagrid laughed. "I nearly forgo' th' other supplies..." 

Lily took the hint, and pulled out her supply list. She squinted her eyes, then read carefully, "_All first year students will require three sets of plain work robes --_" Lily nodded. "Okay... and we get my robes where?" 

Hagrid began to stride off towards the other end of the street, beckoning her to follow him. Lily followed him into a roomy shop full of racks upon racks of colorful robes. Some were laced, frilled, or hemmed, others trailed the ground gently... a pale blue one caught her eye... 

Hagrid chortled a bit. "Lily, all yeh need is black..." Lily looked up and blushed. She walked to the back of the store where she found a large section of jet black robes. She randomly chose three pairs, all which seemed large enough. She quickly pulled them on over her clothes. 

"They fit yeh?" 

"Like a dream..." 

"Good then, we'll be off..." Hagrid took the robes within his massive arms, bought them with the surplus of money in Lily's sack, and carried them out of the shop in a large bag. 

"What now then?" asked Lily curiously. Hagrid motioned towards the list. "Right then..." She held the list to her face, and began to read, "_One plain pointed hat for day wear, one pair of dragon hide gloves._" She looked back at Hagrid. "Oops, guess I should've mentioned that earlier..." She made a grab for her sack full of coins, then dashed back into the shop. Lily emerged carrying a black wizarding hat and a sleek pair of dragon hide gloves. 

She tossed them into the bag with her other supplies. She hadn't bothered to think twice about the dragon hide gloves, she had figured that if all of this could be real, so could these monsters. 

"Wha' next?" asked Hagrid. "It's been so long since I've done this..." Lily grinned, she was grateful to have a helping hand to get her through this ordeal. 

Lily once again took out the list of supplies and ticked off names. "_And the following sets of books_ --" Hagrid stopped her there. 

"Say no more. Before yeh get into this, we might as well ge' there." 

"Where?" 

"Flourish an' Blotts, bookstore." 

"Oh." Once again, Lily took off across the street, stopping in front of a rather large bookstore. "I reckon we should get the books now?" Hagrid nodded, and she skipped into the store, carrying the pewter cauldron that she had purchased a few shops down. Hagrid shook his head, laughing softly. 

Lily took out the book list and stretched it across the cauldron so that it should be read easily. She knew that Hagrid had left her to do this by herself, and she was grateful for a chance to prove that she could be mature. However, this opportunity would be outshone by the chance to prove herself unladylike and careless. 

"_'The Standard Book of Spells' by Miranda Goshawk_..." She quickly identified the book and tossed it into her cauldron. "_'A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' by Phyylinda Spore_... _'A History of Magic' by Bathilda Bagshot_..." Lily too added these books to her pile. She continued her hunt up until book number eight, "'_The Dark Forces : A Guide to Self Protection' by Trimble_." 

At last, Lily felt her cauldron gaining considerable weight, meanwhile becoming quite full of books. She walked slowly towards the counter to pay for her books. The line was tremendous, and Lily personally felt that her turn would never come, but at last it did. However, that was were the trouble began. 

Oh, the purchase went well, that was no problem. It was when Lily whirled around to walk over to Hagrid. She attempted a run, but the cauldron was heavy, and made her odd and awkward. So, as she ran over to Hagrid, she never expected to crash. 

But, of course, she did. 

And into _someone_. 

Lily's cauldron toppled over onto the ground, and her books spilled everywhere. That was offset, however, by the horrible throbbing in Lily's forehead. And judging by the moaning of the person in font of her, they too had felt pain as the foolish girl crashed into them. 

"I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to; it was _ever_ so heavy..." Lily looked up and met a pair of gorgeous brown eyes, half hidden by jet black hair. She stopped talking abruptly as the boy in front of her forced a grin through all of the pain that he felt. 

"Sorry for running into you, miss..." 

Lily's face splotched horribly. "Oh no, it was my fault, I'm terribly clumsy..." 

The two took each other's hands and hoisted one another up. The boy then extended his hand. "James Potter's my name, might I ask yours?" 

Lily smiled. "Lily. Lily Peterson." 

James nodded and stalked off. "Well, Lily, hope to see you around!" And with that, he disappeared around a book shelf. 

Lily gave a small sigh, then went to collecting her books. As soon as she had placed them all back into her cauldron, she raced back over to Hagrid, who was overcome with laughter. 

"It's _not_ funny!" she said, stamping her foot impatiently. 

"Sorry," said Hagrid. "It's jus'... ne'rmind, let's go finish gettin' yer stuff."   


Hagrid sighed deeply as Lily brought the small white owl out of the store. 

"Don't yeh think yeh could've gotten one that was a bit quieter?" The owl screeched noisily at him. 

Lily gently stroked the owl's back. "Don't be silly, she's perfect." The owl cooed and nipped affectionately at her finger. 

"Whatever yeh choose..." 

Lily glared at him, then went back to stroking the owl which she had fallen in love with once inside of the shop. It was only a wee little one, only a couple months old. However, it's large yellow eyes had won Lily over, and she was now completely head over heels. 

Hagrid smiled warmly at the pair. He may not have liked the owl, but the affection they shared was worth the trouble of it. "Lily, we've gotten all o' yer stuff, best we'd be gettin' to th' pub." 

Lily turned to him. "Hm?" 

Hagrid simply stated, "They've got rooms there, yeh could spend an overnih' and be read' for tomorrow." Lily nodded in agreement. 

"Lead the way."   


Lily heaved her packs over the other side of the bed, and sank herself into an armchair by the fire. For such a torn up looking bar, they certainly had beautiful rooms. From the other side of the room, her snowy owl hooted softly in contentment, submerged into the warmth of her coat. 

Lily watched the rain pour from the window, feeling safe and secure inside. She sighed dreamily, then hugged her knees to her chest. Reasons unknown, she was overcome with bliss that her life could be going so smoothly. 

She smiled warmly, and with a final hoot from her owl and a droop of her eyelids, she fell into a deep sleep upon the satin armchair. 

Z Z Z Z Z

Lily awoke the next morning, the sun splashed across her face, her owl curled up beside her, and a small ringing in her ears. 

"Wassamatter?" Lily asked groggily. She squinted her eyes to avoid the light, and rolled over, almost squashing the owl, to see what the ringing was. At first, she couldn't put her finger on it. 

Then she saw the clock. 

Lily's eyes doubled in size and she toppled out of her armchair, the snowy owl shrieking indignantly. She ripped off the clothes she had slept in and hastily pulled on a fresh pair. 

"Oh my god, oh my god, I'm _soo_ late!" Angry tears were swelling in her eyes - she had a strong tendency to cry over the little things. Although, missing the train to a school thousands of miles away wasn't really a little thing... 

Lily grabbed her bags, her owl, and shoes, and raced down the stairs three steps at a time in stocking feet. She advanced the counter without a second thought, shoved a couple of coins on the counter, and grabbed a large piece of buttered toast with a mumbled "Thanks." 

She then tore out of the buildings door, with a piece of toast in her mouth, one shoe on her foot, and another one being hopelessly jammed on. It was to her great surprise that she was suddenly lifted off of the ground and swept into someone's arms. 

"_Hagrid_!" He grinned. "You're a miracle! I don't know where to go to catch the train..." 

Hagrid escorted her to a train station, while she continued to lace up her shoes. He then let her down, where she stiffened herself up, in an attempt to look proper and ladylike, which - with both shoes on - she now did. 

"Lily, yeh'll board the train a' platform nine an' three quarters. See yeh there!" And with that, he left, leaving her feeling confident. Now, all she needed to do was find platform nine and three quarters. 

Unfortunately, that was just the trouble. 

Lily's eyes scanned the station, but nowhere did she see the platform matching Hagrid's description. Her nervous green eyes darted between platform nine and platform ten fiercely, but there was nothing in between. Nothing at all... 

Lily feared that she would break down, and that she would be hopelessly lost at this station until someone decided to come and find her, which would be in about - a years time. 

Lily's lower lip began to tremble. She didn't know what to do... 

Until she saw the young boy she had met at Flourish and Blotts stride past her, surrounded by a couple of other boys. 

Lily's heart took strength again. She called out cheerfully to the boy, "Jake, it's me, Lily! Could you lend me a hand?" 

The boy turned to face her. So did the rest of his crowd. A certain black haired boy nudged him in the ribs and sniggered. 

"My name's James, Lily!" he cried. 

"Oh." She ran over to him, and quickly noticed that every boy but James was in tears of laughter. She asked, pointing to them, "What's that all about?" 

James kicked the black haired boy abruptly in the shins, and he immediately stopped laughing. The others followed suit. "Nothing," he lied quickly, as he tried to hide a smile. "Now," he continued. "What did you want?" 

Lily put a hand behind her head and asked slowly, "Um, well, it's my first year at Hogwarts..." 

A shorter boy stepped out from behind James. He had a thin and handsome figure, and a strong smile. "So are we, you're in luck." He extended a hand to the girl. "My name's Remus Lupin, and I'm assuming that yours is Lily?" 

Getting very flustered, she politely took Remus's hand. "Yes, Lily Peterson. But, I was wondering..." 

The tall black haired boy was getting quite caught up in the fun, however. He took Lily around the shoulders and said manfully, "My name's Sirius Black, miss, and I'd be_ ever_ so grateful to you if --" 

James kicked Sirius in the shins again, and he let out a howl of pain. "Why you...!" 

James - who was quite red in the face now - asked politely of Lily, "Please excuse my friends, they're a bit --" He paused as Sirius and Remus finished their laughter after batting eyelashes at James. "Immature." 

Sirius pushed James out of the way. "Ah, of course we're not immature, James here is just jealous that we're so much more good looking and funny --" 

Lily had sighed pathetically, for perhaps this was not the right crowd of people to ask. They had certainly taken an_ interest _in her, though how far it was getting her... 

Perhaps Remus had noticed the air that Lily was putting on, because he said steadily, "You guys, I think Lily needs to finish her question..." 

Lily smiled gratefully at Remus, who returned it. 

A much shorter and smaller boy looked up at her. "Yes, get on with it, quit wasting our time..." 

James, Remus, and Sirius all hit him on top of the head. "Peter! C'mon, don't be mean to a girl..." 

Lily flushed. "Um, yeah, sorry for wasting your time..." 

James shook his head. "No, no, that's just Peter, ignore everything he says..." 

Lily tried desperately to ignore the dirty look that Peter was sending at James. Lily was beginning to feel quite left out in the conversation, and if an argument broke out, all five of them would miss the train... 

James turned back to Lily. "So, what was your question?" 

Lily smiled. '_Finally_...' She began her problem, "Well, I've told you that it's my first year at Hogwarts..." Peter nodded his head coldly, and Sirius kicked him. "And that this will be my first time boarding the Hogwarts Express, but I was wondering how exactly you reach platform nine and three quarters. Seeing as how I don't really know how to, uh... get there..." 

James laughed. "Oh, of course..." 

Lily looked up at him curiously. "'Of course', what?" 

James stifled a laugh. "You wouldn't know how to get there... but don't worry..." The crowd of boys advanced upon her, and her palms began to sweat. What on earth were they going to _do_ to her? 

Sirius shot a look at James, who nodded. "We'll show you." With that, Sirius and James pushed her straight into the wall that divided platform nine and platform ten. Lily's eyes widened with horror, and she was just about to let out a scream as she crashed headlong into the barrier. However, the crash never came. 

Lily opened her eyes slowly. She was standing in a small portion of the station, but platforms nine and ten were nowhere visible. Instead, as she noticed on a sign hanging above the trains pull up, it read "Platform 9 ¾." Lily grinned. 

There was a small whir, and James, Remus, Sirius and Peter approached her. "Enjoy the ride?" 

Lily turned away from them and said coolly, "Ha ha, that was very cute. You know, you could have told me that was the way here, instead of surprising me like that. I thought you were going to smash me into the barrier..." 

James grinned. "Come on Lily, do we look like people that would do that to you?" 

Lily turned to face them. All four were wearing very cheeky smiles, and Lily tried harshly to control her laughter. "All right, I forgive you, but you really shouldn't have done that to a girl." Lily grinned slyly. 

James laughed, then punched her gently in the shoulder. "Quick on the uptake, are you. We'll see you at Hogwarts..." 

Peter added solemnly, "Sadly..." He was quickly hushed by the rest of the group. 

"See you," said Lily shortly, and she walked away. However, her attention was turned by a sharp whistle. She looked around, and saw with amazement, a large scarlet steam engine approaching the platform. 

Lily glanced back and saw that each of the boys was being cuddled - to their complete disgust - by parents and relatives. Lily laughed, and advanced the train. 

She walked around for a good bit, trying to find an empty compartment, but it was a much harder feat than it would have seemed. Every place she turned, people seemed to have met up with one another; while the only people Lily knew were James, Sirius, Remus and Peter: an awfully sad lot for a girl. 

At last she settled down in a small one, with no people. Lily gave a grateful sigh, the pushed her bags into the overhead compartment, sat her owl's cage beside of her on the ground, and closed the door. Only moments after she had sat herself down on the seats, though, the door slid open. 

Lily shook her head and said, "Hello, James." 

Sirius pouted and said, "I believe you've forgotten me." 

"How could I," said Lily under her breath. 

Remus gathered in his gentlemanly air again and asked pleasantly, "Would you mind so much if we would share this compartment with you?" 

"Not terribly," she said, failing to hold back a smile. 

"Good then," said Sirius, and he sat down next to Lily. Lily groaned, Sirius heard, and he put on a mock look of hurt expression. 

James sat down next to Sirius, then Remus, and then Peter. All five fit well, but it was an odd looking bunch. 

After about 5 minutes of sitting together, speechless and motionless, the train began to move. "All right then!" shouted Remus, throwing off his manners at once. And as soon as the Hogwarts Express began to move, so did the conversation. All at once, the four boys rounded on a conversation of Quidditch tactics. 

Oh, it all sounded very interesting, problem was, Lily was muggle born, and had no idea what Quidditch was. 

"Um, excuse me...?" 

The conversation immediately ceased, to the great displeasure of Peter. 

Lily blushed deeply. "I was just wondering... what exactly is Quidditch?" 

The effect upon the rest of them was tremendous. Well, it was to Sirius. He grasped his heart and fell to the floor, very well staged. The rest of them laughed. James asked quietly, "You really don't know?" 

"How would I?" was Lily's answer. 

James nodded his head. "True..." He grinned. "Are you sure that you want to know?" Lily nodded. "Okay, suit yourself..." 

James launched into a huge explanation of Quidditch, the broomsticks, the balls, and the positions. After nearly an hour, Lily stopped asking questions, and finally understood the purpose. James's throat was dry from talking. 

"Do you get it now?" 

Lily smiled. "Yes, I do. Thank you." James grinned back. She might have been a girl, but she was a pleasant one to be around, and didn't mind very much their boyish behavior. If Lily had known what a tomboy they would have made of her, perhaps she would have chosen to go with another crowd. But, she didn't, and was content enough talking about sports, pranks, and various other things that would have horrified her mother half out of her wits. 

After a very descriptive talk, the door slid open once more. A young, plump witch entered the compartment, pushing a trolley full of various chocolates and candies. 

Lily's eyes sparkled. "Ooh..." She took out her sack full of coins, and pulled out a handful. She had never seen candies such as the ones on the trolled before, so she ordered a little of everything. Every boy but Remus eyed her enviously. 

Remus reached within his bags and pulled out a large piece of granola. "It's the healthiest option..." The rest of the compartment sighed heavily. 

At last, after everyone had placed their orders and received their share of chocolate, the witch left. 

Lily tore into her pile of goodies. 

James laughed. "Not very ladylike, are we?" 

Lily glared at James, her mouth coated in chocolate. "Of course I am..." She looked down at her smudged hands and skirt. "This doesn't count..." 

James snorted.   


The train came to a very sudden stop. Peter was thrown out of his seat, much to the amusement of Lily. 

He looked up at her harshly. "It really isn't funny." 

"'Course not." 

The train's whistle blew, and a voice rang throughout the quarters. "Please exit the trains - your luggage will be taken up to the castle - and exit towards the carriages... " The voice rang a bit longer. "First years, please make your ways to the lake with Hagrid." 

Lily smiled. She then turned to the rest of them. "C'mon, let's go...!" 

She tore out of the compartment in the blink of in eye. 

"Energetic sprite..." 

"Too energetic," groaned Peter. 

James turned to face him. "Peter, what do you have against her?" 

Peter sighed. "The fact that she's a _her_." James was blank. "You idiot, she's a girl." 

Sirius broke into a huge fit of laughter.   


Lily, James, Remus, Sirius and Peter all stood by a large black lake among every other first year, next to Hagrid. 

"Firs' year all here?" he bellowed. "Good then..." Hagrid led them all a bit farther, and they all stood gaping. A dozen little boats lay docked in a small harbor of the lake. 

"We're not actually going to ride up to the castle, are we?" asked a nervous little boy. 

"'Course weh are!" boomed Hagrid. "Four teh a boat, move i' along..." 

Lily stood with her mouth open, and looked desperately at James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, all who were huddled tightly together. She sighed longingly. Naturally, there were four of them, and she'd be forced to go along with someone else... 

James felt torn between her and his friends, then drew an arm around her. "Come on, Lily, you and Peter are both fairly small, we can fit five of us in a boat..." 

Lily beamed at him. Peter looked disgusted, but made no argument. One more, and _he'd_ be kicked out of the boat. 

James climbed in first, followed by Peter and Sirius. Remus went last, then reached out his hand to help Lily in. It was a bit cramped, but Lily didn't notice. For someone she had just met, every someone in the boat but Peter was being considerably kind to her. 

Hagrid then tossed oars to everyone, passing by the fact that one boat had more people than allowed. He had taken a liking to Lily. 

"All read'? Row awa'!" 

James and Lily each took an oar, being in the front and back. Remus had offered to row for Lily, but she felt that he had already been considerate enough. Besides, Lily was surprisingly good at this... 

Lily and James each worked in sync with each other, rowing smoothly and steadily, harmonious. Never missing a beat. Until, that is, Sirius got a bit too comfortable. 

The boat had been moving along smoothly, and Sirius kicked his legs up over the side of the boat, and laid back. He was a bit too tall for this, however, and the weight of his upper body toppled him over; as well as the rest of the boat. 

Sirius flipped backwards, the rest of the crew fell sideways, and the boat capsized upon them. Lily came back up through a jet of bubbles, accidentally hitting Remus with her elbow. He came up directly under her, and she fell back upside down as he pushed through her legs. 

"Oops, sorry there..." 

James went up last, puling Peter as he went. Peter wasn't gifted in swimming, and would have drowned otherwise. Sirius came up, his face red with laughter. 

Both Lily and James took their oars and swung them upon Sirius's head. Lily tried, but she couldn't manage to stifle the giggles that echoed against the inside of the boat. 

"We've got to get the boat back up..." 

"Gee, you think?" 

James poked his tongue out at Sirius. 

"Come on, help me out here..." 

With those words, Sirius and James lifted up the boat and pushed it back to it's right side. With a small boost from Remus, each one made it back into the boat. 

Lily looked around at the other boats. "They're all way in front of us, we've got to hurry..." She and James took the oars again, and the began to paddle harder than they'd ever paddled before. (not that either one had before anyway...) 

Finally, soaking and dripping wet, they made it to the shore with the rest of the first years. Everyone pointed, stared, or giggled. The five of them, however, were shaking too hard to notice. 

Hagrid began to walk up to the castle. "C'mon now, wer' gonna get' back up teh the castle..." And so, they followed him, up the hill and through the large oak doors. 

Inside of a large room, other students peered at them curiously. 

From inside of the room came a young witch, her black hair in a tight bun atop her head. "Move it along, first years, that's right, make an orderly line against the wall, don't file into the Great Hall yet, mind your step..." 

The five of them stared blankly at each other, but piled into a straight line, Lily taking up the rear. 

After what seemed like half an hour, they were finally instructed to enter the Great Hall. 

"We're going to be sorted!" whispered James excitedly. 

"Sorted?" 

"Yeah, split up into four different houses. They're like... well, they're groups that we'll spend the rest of our seven years here at." 

Lily gulped. Suppose she was split into a different house than either one of her boys? She'd spend the rest of the seven years without them... 

"How do we know where to go?" she asked nervously. 

Sirius answered this time. "It's some sort of test... really painful..." Lily gasped. 

Remus elbowed him. "It isn't painful, Lily, but I hear that it's a test... of courage and cunning, something like that. 

This didn't raise Lily's spirits. She didn't feel that she had either at the moment. 

However, a small grin from James improved her mood. "Wish us luck that we'll make it in the same houses!" Lily nodded. Each of the five friends gave each others hands a tight squeeze; even Lily and Peter. 

"Move it along!" shouted the witch. They all raced into the Great Hall. 

As Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter walked along, though, an older student pointed at them and called out to them. 

"Oi, yeah, you five, what happened to you?" 

"We fell in..." said Lily, her face burning. She then turned to Remus. "By the way, Remus, sorry for sitting on you..." 

Remus grinned. "It was my fault, but it wasn't such a bad view." 

Lily's face went a bit more confused. "What do you mean?" 

Remus laughed, then said quickly, "Blue undies suit you very well." 

Lily's mouth hung wide open, and James snorted again. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

All right, so ends chapter 1. ::sigh:: Sorry, I'm no good at writing long chapters. There may be alot, but each one is gonna be pretty short... ^^;; This one was nearly fourteen pages (without margin, of course), that's pretty good, don't ya think? It better be, I spent all day writing it... Anyway, hope you enjoyed, I'll be putting up the next few shortly. I've already got some of them typed, but I'm waiting to put them up. I can't just let you read them all at once, now, can I?

Okay, I already wrote this, but no characters belong to me, no ideas (except for the story line ^^) or anything else. The only thing that is mine is Lily's last name, the story line, and the color of her underwear. ::grins:: Okay, if that part was unnecessary, sorry, but I just had to!

Please review! Flames are welcome, but I'd be eternally grateful if you'd write something nice! If I used incorrect grammar, please say so, or if I slipped up in the story line... ect. ect.... just review, kay?

~arch angel


	2. A Griffindor Spreads her Wings

_~*Roses of Plenty*~_

_ *Chapter Two*_

_A Griffindor Spreads her Wings..._

_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, I take no credit whatsoever for them. Please enjoy the fic..._

_*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*_

A young witch in sweeping black robes and a tight bun swept across the large room, her glasses falling off of the tip of her nose. She tried vainly to hold her hat on, but these attempts went unnoticed. She ran straight out of the doors, then disappeared around a corner. 

A tall boy with black hair said softly, "Guess we're not due to come in after all..." 

Another black haired boy - shorter than the first, nodded his head. 

A redheaded girl leaned nervously against the wall, her entire body shaking. "I can't stand this! Can't they just get on with the Sorting?" 

The shorter black haired boy put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be so nervous Lily, it's just the Sorting...!" 

Lily laughed, but it was abnormally high and false. "That's easy for you to say, James, you and the rest of them have a bit of an idea what to expect --" 

"Of course we don't!" said Remus. "We're just as confused as you are, just --" He reached out his hand to touch her arm, and noticed how nervous she really was. "Not so full of nerves..." 

None of them had been expecting what was to come, though. At that moment, the witch came strolling back through the doors, rolling a great stand along, and sitting atop it was a frayed and patched wizard's hat. 

"What's that for?" asked Sirius. 

James shrugged his shoulders. Lily couldn't move; she was paralyzed with fear. Perhaps she would have smiled, though, if she'd realized what the hat was for. 

From the far end of the room, a wizard stood up. He was sitting at a small table, which appeared to be strictly for the staff, considering that it was filled with older wizards and witches. The long and gray haired wizard shouted across the room, "Thank you, Minerva!" The witch in the glasses bowed, then ran back to the staff table. 

She left the hat and a chair upon a small stage, lit by dozens upon dozens of floating candles. At this sight, Lily forgot her fears, mesmorized by the magic. It wasn't until a large rip in the hat opened up like a mouth that Lily took her eyes off the site. 

As the hat began to sway, Lily jumped back and landed in James's arms. She looked up at him, her entire weight being supported by him. "Oops, sorry..." She hoisted herself back up, then leaned forward for a better view of the hat. 

All at once, it began to sing, and Lily began to wonder if she was going insane. Articles of clothing weren't supposed to talk... she began to look at her robes in a new light... 

Lily couldn't help but listen to the song that it was singing, however. It kept going on about the four houses : Griffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Lily looked around and noticed that the four tables (aside from the staff table) seemed to be split among these houses, and that above each table was a flag, bearing the emblem of it's house. A gold and scarlet one for Griffindor, who's animal appeared to be some sort of lion, a bronze and blue one for Ravenclaw, whose flag bore a hawk; a yellow and black flag marked with a badger stood for Hufflepuff, and a silver and green one waved proudly above the Slytherin table, wearing an evil looking serpent. When it reached the point in the song where Slytherin was mentioned, Sirius and James hissed loudly. 

Lily turned to them sharply, a meaningful expression on her face. 

"You don't know the Slytherins..." whispered James seriously. "They've got a horrible reputation... they've turned out the most Dark Wizards..." His voice dropped slowly, and he ended the conversation. Lily didn't know what a Dark Wizard was, but she would ask James later... if she managed to get into his house, that was. 

The bearded wizard from the staff table spoke up again, as soon as the hat was done with it's song. "Each first year will try on the hat, it will place you into your house. When it calls out the house name, please make your way to it's table." 

Lily gave a huge sigh of relief. There wasn't going to be a test, instead, the hat would make it's own private decisions about her. 

Slowly, the line began to step up to the hat, and each first year tried it on. It called out names, sorted students into their houses, and so on. At last, it was Peter's turn to try on the hat. 

After a long pause, it shouted out "Griffindor!" 

Peter smiled, then raced off towards the Griffindor table. Remus was up next. Without a second thought, he was sorted into Griffindor. He grinned broadly, then rushed off to join Peter. 

Sirius waved good bye to Lily and James, as he bravely approached the hat. And, like Remus, it didn't take long to decide where he belonged. "Griffindor!" Sirius laughed triumphantly, then scurried towards the Griffindor table, picking a seat next to Remus and Peter. 

Now it was James's turn to try on the Sorting Hat. He didn't look as bold as he had half an hour ago. He was now just as pale and shaky as Lily. 

"There's so much pressure on me to get into Griffindor..." 

Lily gave him a sisterly push and whispered into his ear, "You'll do just fine!" 

James pulled the hat over his ears and waited patiently for it's decision. After a moment's pause, it too shouted "GRIFFINDOR!" 

Lily screamed loudly in cheer, applauding for her friend. She had forgotten that she too had to try on the hat... 

"Go on!" called James from the Griffindor table, where he was being smothered furiously by Sirius, Remus and Peter. 

Lily grinned, then stepped forward. She tugged the hat over her flaming red hair. Then she heard it's soft voice where it's decision remained her private. 

"_Hm_... _You'll be a tough one, you will_..." 

"Really?" thought Lily, but the hat could hear her every thought. 

"_Naturally_... _you show courage_..." 

Lily grinned. She was sure to be headed towards Griffindor. 

"_But also a strong sense of wisdom, maybe Ravenclaw would suit you best_..." 

Lily grimaced. "But you said I was courageous, did you not?" 

"_Yes_... _strong loyalty to your friends_..." Lily nodded fiercely. She must have looked quite stupid from the audience. "_My dear child, that makes you a strong qualification for Hufflepuff_..." 

Lily shook her head. "Wouldn't I make a good Griffindor?" 

"_Well, naturally_..." 

"Then can't I go?" 

The hat almost seemed to sigh, but that was ridiculous. "_Choices make the girl, you remember that_..." Seconds later, the hat screamed out, "GRIFFINDOR!!" 

Lily ripped the hat off of her head and flew down to the Griffindor table. 

"I made it, I made it, I made it!!" she shrieked, leaping into the outstretched arms before her. 

"Nice job..." said James, who was grinning madly. 

Remus - who's arms she had leaped into- twirled her around and shouted, "Good girl, Lily!" 

Sirius sighed happily, longing for a camera. Even Peter was grinning. "You made it to Griffindor, Lily... good job." 

Lily was in such bliss that she didn't know if she could ever have been taken out of it. All she could do was smile madly at Remus, who was clutching her tightly, and let out a loud laugh as James waved to her from the sidelines.   


Lily walked up slowly to the Griffindor common room, completely exhausted. The moving portrait caught her eye. 

Lily let out a little yelp. She tugged harshly on James's robe. "L-look! That picture m-moved!" 

James laughed. "Yeah, what's it supposed to do, stay in one place all day?" 

Lily said calmly, "They do in the muggle world..." 

"Really? How fascinating...." 

Lily smiled and said the password which a prefect had so kindly given to her to the painting, and climbed through it as it opened up. 

She was quickly followed by James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. "Good night..." she whispered, then began up the girl's staircase. However, she was pulled back by James. 

"Do you seriously think that we're going to let you go up there? The night had only just begun!" Lily sighed, then allowed herself to be pulled down the stairs. 

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Lily," added Sirius. "Not you, either, Remus." He turned to face Remus, who had also begun climbing the stairs. He groaned, then trailed back down to where the other four were sitting. 

"Every one else has fallen asleep," said Sirius darkly. 

"Wish we could too," said Lily. Remus nodded his head. 

Sirius and James shook their heads and sighed. "Tonight, my children, is the night for mischief, and a bit of rule breaking..." 

Remus leaned over and whispered into Lily's ear, "You honestly don't know those two, a little mischief for them is a lot of mayhem for the rest of the world..." 

James kicked Remus. "You don't go giving it all away now, Remus. You certainly do your share of rule bending..." Remus went red in the face. 

Peter sat stiffly. "Will you three get on with it?" A mildly curious look was spread across his pointed face. 

"Yeah, yeah..." 

"So..." began James. "Me and good ole' Sirius have been working hard on a little project that we like to call the 'Marauders Map.' Handy dandy thing, but I think we might as well get Lily's opinion on it, she'd be honest with us..." 

"I don't really thing she'd care --" started Peter. 

"Doesn't matter," said Remus. "Whether she cares or not. She's fast asleep." He pointed to his shoulder, where Lily's head now lay, completely wiped out. 

James smiled. You had to admit, Lily was pretty cute when she was asleep. Her wild red hair was scattered across Remus's shoulder, and her thin body was curled up against his side. 

"You think we should wake her up?" 

"Nah, we'll carry her up." 

"Carry her up?! Are you crazy?" 

Remus grinned. "I'm not crazy. Not too much." He took Lily up in his arms and looked at the other three. 

"Aren't you going to help me?" They all shook their heads, identical smiles across their faces. Remus shook his head. "Oh no - don't even _think _that --" 

He turned away from the rest of the group and carried Lily steadily up to the first year girl's dormitory. He was grateful that none of the other girls were awake, as they'd have a fit. Then, as quickly and quietly as he could manage, he slipped back down to the common room. 

Remus's eyes then took in the site before him. James was scooped up in Sirius's arms, his arms laced around his neck. 

"Oh Lily," Sirius began. 

"Remus, you dog, don't say it, I _know_ you love me!" James broke out into laughter, but completed the last phase in the skit. Sirius lowered James's head to the ground, and attempted a fake kiss. 

Remus boiled over. He stepped upon Sirius's head, causing him and James to go into a true french. 

Sirius came straight back up, gasping for air. "Oh, man, Remus! You...!" A very unpleasant series of curse words was issued at that moment. 

James was dropped to the ground. "Dear god, Sirius, don't you brush your teeth at _all_?" 

Sirius grinned guiltily. James's entire face went green. "I don't want to know what was in your saliva..." 

"Neither do I..." admitted Sirius. 

James immediately ran for a trash can, and went violently sick. 

Sirius then made a mad dash at Remus's throat. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you...!" Remus extended a fist, and Sirius rammed straight into it. He soon joined James at the trash can. 

Remus glared at both of them. "You two deserve it." 

Sirius glanced back up at him, then stormed up to the boy's dormitory. James ran up after him, followed by Peter. Remus sighed heavily, then trotted up to join them. 

Peter lay half asleep in his bed, but both James and Sirius were glaring murderously at Remus. "I can't believe you had the guts to do that, you're supposed to be the nice one..." 

Remus flopped down upon his four poster bed. "Sorry, boys, but my patience doesn't stretch as far as Lily and me." 

Sirius grinned. "You can't say you don't like her, Remus." 

"A little." 

"A lot." 

Remus blushed a light pink. "She's cute." 

James added a quick, "I don't deny it." 

Sirius and Remus both turned to stare at him. "What??" he asked innocently. 

Sirius rolled over onto his side. "So she's a cute tomboy. Big deal. I don't see why you two are head over heels for her on the first day..." 

"We are not!" shouted James and Remus at identical times. 

"Are too," said Sirius devilishly. 

James began to walk over to him to smack him. 

"You wouldn't." 

"Give me one reason why." 

"You love me too much." 

"Oh?" said James. "How so?" 

"You kissed me." 

James began to walk a bit faster. 

"Wanna try it again, lover boy?" 

James smiled sarcastically, then give Sirius a loud smack upside the head. He laughed victoriously, then walked away, tripping on Sirius's bed sheets. 

"I win again!" shouted Sirius madly. 

Remus sat in his bed, shaking his head pitifully.   


As soon as the last of the noise dissolved from the Griffindor Tower, Lily Peterson crept out of her bed, and tiptoed down into the common room. She could barely make out the room by the darkness that had engulfed it, but she could tell that no one else was in it, and so she smiled, the plopped down in an armchair. 

The atmosphere of her dorm made her quite uncomfortable, and she would have given anything to have been sleeping up in the boy's dormitory, where her friends' snores were echoing. 

She sighed. Being a girl was unfair, she knew it. Of course, Lily did do her share of whining and pouting, but what she would have given... 

Lily looked hopelessly down at the armchair, then curled up in a small bundle. Slowly, her heavy eyelids drooped, and she fell fast asleep, her only blankets the cloak that draped across her shoulders.   


James awoke in the middle of the night, crabby and unpleasant. "What the hell?" 

Then he heard the moans from downstairs. His blood ran cold. What in the devil's name was down there? 

James really didn't want to find out, but his spirit of adventure got the better of him. He crept down the stairs of the boy's dormitory, and pinpointed the sound. 

In a little armchair, something was moaning uncontrollably. He would have run back upstairs, but the tuft of red hair that extended from the chair's arm revealed the one that was making the noise. 

James smiled, then pushed Lily to the side a bit, careful not to wake her up. He had a certain way with sleep talkers... 

"What's wrong?" he whispered into her ear. 

"The Dark Lord, he's coming..." she said unconsciously. James laughed. He didn't have the slightest clue to what she was talking about, but it sounded arrant nonsense to him. 

Apparently, though, it wasn't to Lily, because she seemed to be in a great deal of pain and misery. All at once, without her slightest bit of knowledge, she wrapped her arms around James, whispering a plea into his night shirt. 

James tried to pull away, but her grasp was too tight. He gave a helpless sigh, then grinned. 

"Oh well, I'm not gonna wake her up just for this..." He leaned against the chair's back, and laid Lily's head upon his lap. Then he, too, drifted into a deep sleep.   


"Oi! Remus! Peter! Come down her!" Sirius fled up into the boy's dormitory, knocking against Remus's and Peter's heads. 

"What do you want Sirius?" asked Remus lazily. 

"I agree, it's the crack of dawn..." said Peter miserably. 

"You won't want to miss this!" said Sirius gleefully. He pulled Peter and Remus up, then hauled them down the stairs. 

They both stood open mouthed at the site before them. Remus grinned. 

"I can't believe he made fun of _me_..." 

"Neither can I..." An evil grin spread across his face. "I'd kill for a camera..." 

Peter sniggered. "You're evil..." Sirius grinned. "I take great pride in that fact...!" He watched them both from the corner of the room, an evil smile playing across his lips. 

Remus gave a small sigh. "Should we wake them?" 

Sirius laughed. "You want to get the love feast over as soon as possible, don't you Remus? You just can't stand that Lily and James are gonna make -" Sirius stopped suddenly. A strong hand was clamped tightly around his mouth. 

Remus let go of him and went over to them. "No, Sirius, and I pride myself that I'm not quite as _sick_ as you are." He shook James's shoulders. "Wake up James, you've got a surprise waiting for you. 

James awoke slowly, rubbing his eyes, then looking down at Lily. Then he caught a view of all his friends, grinning madly. James jumped out of the chair. Lily - who's head had been resting atop him - fell clumsily to the floor. 

Lily's bright green eyes opened quickly, sparkling with malice. "What the hell are you all looking at?!" She turned to James. "Why'd you knock me off of my chair? Got something against me?" She rubbed a spot on her head fervently. 

"I'd say he's as far from that as possible," said Sirius, much to the displeasure of James, who kicked him harshly. 

Remus chortled. "Lily, you do realize that James was - eh - under you, yes?" 

Lily took a long a sick stare at James. "Why you...!" She couldn't think of the word. "PERVERT!" 

Lily ran across the room in her pajamas, making a grab at James. "Pervert! Pervert!" She whopped him atop the head multiple times. 

Remus sighed heavily. "They looked so cute last night..." Remus then received a complimentary slap from a small - but awfully strong - redheaded girl. 

Lily - looking quite disgruntled - then stood in front of them all, half of her audience nursing injuries she had given them. 

"I thought you people were better than this...! Turns out I'm wrong, you're just like the rest of them..." Her chest heaving with emotion, she raced up the steps to the girl's dormitory. 

"What a girl charmer you are, James..." 

James shot a vicious look at Sirius. "You shut up, I can't believe she got so ticked off at us, we didn't do anything..." 

Sirius coughed. "Maybe it's just me, but I do believe that someone _slept _with her last night." He turned a meaningful glance at James, who looked bewildered and hurt. 

"I was just helping her, it's not like I could've gotten up, she grabbed onto me --" 

Remus choked. "Excuse me? I don't believe we've heard this part of the story..." 

"Good thing too," whispered James. 

"Oh, come on now, James. I guess that was a bit stupid of us not to ask... after all, people don't just randomly crawl into bed with each other..." 

"It was an armchair." 

"Even better. Be a good lad, James, and tell us!" A look unlike the usual glint in Sirius's eyes had occupied his face. His eyes drooped, his lip pouted, and he began to whimper. 

"Oh, shut _up_ Sirius," began Peter irritably. "You look like some sort of sick dog..." Sirius gave him an unpleasant smile. 

"Very funny. Very, _very_ funny." 

James gave an exasperated sigh. Did they even care anymore? He could never tell, they never stayed hooked onto one subject for more than fifteen seconds... 

"Please tell us James?" asked Remus. James rolled his eyes. The conversation was on. 

"All right, I can see that I won't get anywhere else otherwise..." The crowd of boys sat in a circle around James, much like young schoolboys. He couldn't help but let out a laugh. 

"Well, o'course, I was up in my four poster, nicely asleep, when some little girl who has somehow crept back into the common room lets out this piteous groan. I wake up, then go down the stairs to see Lily asleep on the armchair, talking in her sleep." 

Sirius elbowed Remus and added, "Bet you anything it was 'bout you!" Remus went red in the face. 

"Ah-hem!" said James. "Do you or do you not want to hear this?" Every boy nodded. "Okay then. So, anyway, I was wondering what she was saying, so I crept over to her and asked her what the matter was..." 

"She was asleep, moron," said Sirius dully. 

Remus counted matter-of-factly, "Actually, Sirius, people are semiconscious in their sleep, and can have short or simple conversations..." 

James clucked his tongue impatiently. Remus and Sirius flushed. "So," began James for the third time. "I asked her what was the matter, and she told me that the 'Dark Lord' was coming. I laughed at her, but she didn't seem to share the same view. She stared to moan again, and carry on pitifully. I felt sorry, and leaned over to comfort her, but instead she grabbed the front of my night shirt --" Sirius whistled. James punched him in the nose. "Okay, I'm going to finish telling you this crap before it kills me. So, she grabs me by my shirt and pulls me down to the armchair, then she somehow flips over and she's on top. I decided not to wake her, and..." He glanced around at the three blank faces. "That's pretty much it." 

Sirius grinned at Remus. "You've got hot competition, Lupin." Remus buried his face in his hands. 

Peter groaned. "That's it?" 

James looked at him curiously. "What do you mean? Look, Peter, neither of us are in any way attracted to another..." 

Sirius gave a sarcastic snort.   


Lily sat up in her four poster, crying miserably. A tall blonde girl approached her from the other side of the first year girl's dorm. 

She sat down beside of her. "Hey, Lily. What's the matter?" 

Lily glanced up at her. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" 

The blonde girl smiled. "My name's Anne. I know about you because, quite frankly, rumors are spreading like wildfire that a cute little redheaded girl has squeezed her way into the group filled with the hottest boys in the school." She grinned at the hurt expression on Lily's face. "What I believe? You've got a lot to offer, and why shouldn't they be hanging all over you?" 

Lily smiled. "Thanks... but they're just the problem." 

"How so?" asked Anne kindly. 

"Well, they're boys. What more is there to it? They're just starting to treat me like a girl instead of a friend, and a downright 'tomboyish' one at that." 

Anne clapped a hand to Lily's shoulder. "It's not a bad thing, but it's obviously not what you want. Don't worry, they'll get over it, that's just how all guys act in the beginning... it gets better. Who knows, maybe you'll start to like them that way too!" She winked, then strode off out of the door. 

Lily felt comforted by the kind girl's words, but she couldn't help thinking that her last sentence would never come true. How wrong she was...   


Lily awoke after her afternoon nap staring into a pair of electric blue eyes. Lily jumped up, hitting him in the nose, and giving a small shriek. 

"Remus?!" 

Remus rubbed a hand against his swelling nose. "Yeah, it's me, you didn't have to knock against me so hard..." 

"What in heavens name are you doing up here in the girls dormitory?" 

Remus grinned. "Coming to make peace..." He looked around. "It's not like I haven't been up here before..." He gave a small snigger at the surprised look on Lily's face. "Long story, I'd rather not go into it --" 

Lily was still just as blank as she had been before. "So... _what_ are you doing?" 

"Well, I was going to apologize before you hit me in the nose, now I think you owe me one...!" 

Lily grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that..." She leaned over to her bedside cabinet, and pulled out a small white tube. She squeezed out some of it's creamy contents onto her finger. 

"What's that?" asked Remus. 

Lily smiled warmly. "Don't fidget now..." She leaned over to him and rubbed it across his nose. The pain immediately stopped. Remus looked at her in bewilderment. 

"What was that stuff?" 

"Muggle medication." 

"Works like a charm!" Remus laughed. "I could have just gone up to the nurse, though, Lily..." He couldn't help but releasing a grateful smile to her. 

Lily smiled back. "But you were right here, and you wouldn't have gone anyway if I hadn't smacked you." 

"It was an accident." 

"Doesn't matter." Lily took him by the hand. "Now, I've apologized, what about you?" She shot him a hilarious look. 

Remus had forgotten all about it. "Yes, of course, Lily..." He held a hand behind his head. "Well, the rest of the boys and I have been talking about you, and we're _dreadfully_ sorry about what we did --" 

"What James did." 

"Only James?" 

Lily nodded. 

"Okay, whatever, that's not the point. We're so sorry for offending you, and they're all down there praying that you'll forgive us. I am too, as a matter of fact...!" 

Lily laughed as Remus gave her the droopiest and saddest eyes he could manage. "Oh, all right, of course I forgive you!" 

"Good then!" said Remus proudly, his eerie eyes beaming. He snatched her hand in his own, and marched with her down the stairs. Lily laughed out loud as she saw the sight laid before her eyes. 

Sirius, James and Peter all sat closely together on the floor, their knees to their chests, all pale and nervous looking. Did they really care about her that much...? 

The three other boys looked up at Remus - then they saw Lily, and their faces broke out into smile. "We've got her back!" shouted Remus, and he ran over to the others. Meanwhile, they ran over to Lily. 

James decided to wring her hands. 

"I'm so sorry, Lily, I really didn't mean to do anything to--" He was silenced. Lily had her arms around his neck. She drew away, her face beaming. Then, taking a step back, she slapped him. 

"I don't know whether to kiss you or kill you," Lily admitted, her face burning. Sirius laughed, and hung himself over Lily's shoulders. 

"There's a girl!" He poked his tongue out at James, and erupted into giggles. 

For almost two hours, all that the tight group could do was talk, apologize, and in Lily's case, cry. The whole ordeal was altogether far too overwhelming for her dear little heart. All four of the boys' hearts melted at this; for the only thing that can do this is the innocence of a girl, and Lily was an excellent example to prove this point. 

At last, Lily's face red, she fell down to the ground, panting with exhaustion. She looked out of the tower, the stars the only light. 

"I think we've spent a little too much time down here..." 

James laughed. "I agree, Miss Lily. But alas, we cannot yet march off to bed!" 

Lily groaned. "Oh no, not this again...!" She turned desperately to Remus. "Do they really do this every night?" 

Remus nodded. "Sorry, Lily..." Lily fell to the ground. 

"Oh well, better get used to it.." 

"You'd better..." said Sirius, a grin now playing across his face. "Last night you fell asleep during the middle of our conversation, quite rude... poor Remus, had to carry you all the way up to the girl's dormitory..." He let out a pitiful sigh, as he eyed Remus. 

Remus's face was bright red. "I hadn't told her, Sirius! _Do_ keep things as trivial as this quiet!" 

"Trivial?" laughed Sirius. "I can't help but recall the passion that drove Lily into your arms..!" Lily's face was now burning. She wasn't angry, but relieved and embarrassed that Remus felt friendship this strong for her. 

Remus also began to grin. He had begun at the word 'passion.' Sirius took note of this smile, and recoiled. "Oh no, Remus, don't tell her... you _wouldn't_!" 

"I would!" said Remus plainly. "Last night was an event of wonders, Lily..." 

James and Sirius bared their teeth, each looking very venomous. "Don't you dare tell her...!" 

Remus laughed a cold laugh that wasn't at all himself. "Why shouldn't I? What exactly have you done to protect my reputation?" 

James had pushed Sirius to the side, as he was clenching a fist, and James didn't want to have to take Remus up to the nurse at eight o'clock at night for a whole mouth full of missing teeth. 

A look of pleading in his eyes, James said hurriedly, "Please, Remus, don't..." 

Lily stood up suddenly. "Okay, James, if you and Sirius really don't want me to know, I won't. It must be pretty damn bad." 

Remus shot two looks up at her. Both were amazement, the first being of her respect, the second being her fine use of language. "Lily, I didn't know you had it in you." 

Lily blushed. "I didn't mean to, it sort of slipped... I just ruined my reputation for being ladylike, yes?" Each boy sitting beside of her nodded, and she sighed futilely. 

She sat back down. "So, James, what is it that you've been wanting to ask me?" 

Relief spread through James's body. Finally, they were getting of the subject of his and Sirius's... er... 

"Yes, well, me and Sirius --" He had to punch Remus to shut up his muffled laughter. "We've been working on a project called the Marauders Map." 

"What does it do?" asked Lily lazily. 

James went red in the face. "That's what we're trying to tell you, Lily." 

"Sorry." 

"All right, anyway, it's just a simple map... actually, very complex." James pulled out a piece of blank parchment from within the depths of his robes. 

Lily rolled her eyes. "Whoop de do. A piece of parchment." 

James glared at her sternly. "Not _just_ a piece of parchment, girl." He took out his wand. James tapped the wand to the parchment, then mumbled the words, "_I solemnly swear I'm up to no good_." Instantly, as though ink was spreading through the wand, shapes and letter formed across the parchment, making a very descriptive map of Hogwarts School. 

Lily's eyes were wide in wonder. "You two have only been here for three days, how do you know the layout of the school?" 

Sirius laughed. "We've been sneaking in throughout the summer..." 

Lily laughed, a grin across her face. She then slapped Sirius lightly against the arm. "You dog!" 

Sirius smiled. "Thanks, I'm flattered." 

Lily then took the map in her hands. There were passages even seventh years knew not about... as wondrous as this was, however, there was one more thing fascinating. 

Little black dots were scattered throughout the school, each labeled with a name. "Are those all the students and teachers at Hogwarts?" 

James beamed proudly. "What do you think?" 

"It's amazing!" said Lily shamelessly. 

"And," added Sirius. "To wipe the map from the view of prying eyes, simply state the words '_mischief managed_.'" He followed through this action with his wand, and the forms of ink instantly disappeared. 

Lily applauded. "You two, for people that have absolutely no intellect whatsoever... you're geniuses..." 

"Thanks, Lily." 

Remus, however, was nearly drooping to the ground. "Can we _please_ go to bed now?" 

James nodded. "Sorry, Remus..." James trotted up the stairs, followed by Sirius and Peter. However, Remus stood up, but remained in his position. He then turned to Lily. 

"What?" she asked innocently. 

Remus took a look at her, then asked, "Would you like to take a walk with me?" 

Lily laughed at his shyness in asking that simple question. "Yes, of course. What's the catch?" 

"We go tonight. Outside. More romantic that way!" he added as a joke. Lily burst out into giggles. 

She then strode up the staircase. "See you later tonight, Lupin." 

"You too, Peterson." And, with that, the two disappeared from each others sight. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

And so, part 2 is over. It actually wasn't so bad, but, as I said before, it is pretty short. ::hums:: I'll be working on making them longer, it's just... the longer I make them, the harder I try, and the more confusing it gets!! Okay, sorry, I will try... ^^

None of it belongs to me, sorry to say... Ah well. I've already stated it, but it really takes up room on the page and makes my chapters look more lengthy. ::lol::

Okay, yes, Remus was in this alot, and he's going to be all over the next one too!! I love Remus! But don't worry, I will in turn take each male character and put him in the spotlight, because it's just too difficult to do them all at once, you see? And now, every Remus fan here is cheering for me! ::bows:: Okay, I'm really going to shut up now...

A big "Thank you!" to everyone who reviewed my story, thank you for advice, compliments, ect... I have no plot in mind, so if you would be so kind as to get me going in the right direction, I would be eternally grateful. Keep reviweing, and reviweing, and reviewing... I've got to stop that. Flames welcome, but it would be oh-so nice if you could put in a good word for me! ^^ Okay, see you, I will be posting more up soon!

~arch angel


	3. A Midnight Stroll Through the Forbidden ...

_~*Roses of Plenty*~_

_ *Chapter Three*_

_A Midnight Stroll in the Forbidden Forest..._

_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, I take no credit whatsoever for them. Please enjoy the fic..._

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

The young redheaded girl flew down the stairs as the clock chimed eleven. When she had reached the common room of the tower, she met the silhouette of Remus, already waiting for her. 

"Lily, m'dear, what took you so long?" joked Remus. Lily punched him gently in the side. 

"Do you have your cloak?" asked Lily, who had begun to tie hers around her neck. Remus shrugged. 

"Don't need one," said Remus with a carefree air. Lily laughed. 

"Whatever you say, Remus." She grabbed his arm, and they crept quietly out of the common room portrait together. But before they had taken two steps, Remus hit himself in the head. 

"Wait right here, Lily, I've got to go get something..." With that, Remus disappeared back through the portrait, who was luckily fast asleep. Lily kept the portrait propped open, and waited patiently for Remus to return with whatever had he forgotten. 

Soon enough, Remus dashed through the portrait hole, and locked it shut. In his arms were a piece of parchment, and a long silvery cloak. 

"Ooh!" said Lily delightedly. "You've brought the Map!" Then she laughed. "Decided that you'll be needing a cloak after all?" 

Remus grinned. "It's not for me, it's for the both of us." 

Across Lily's face went a look of confusion. 

Still smiling, Remus added, "It's an Invisibility Cloak. This way, we can go through the halls without being seen... at all." 

Lily smiled broadly and picked up the cloak. It was almost water like, with it's droops and material. Remus pointed his wand towards the parchment and called upon the map. Lily threw the cloak over Remus and herself. "Let's go," she whispered. 

Off the two set off through the hallways, eyeing teachers that took nighttime walks across the halls with loathing. 

At last they reached the doorway of Hogwarts. 

"We're going outside?" asked Lily adventurously. 

Remus nodded. "C'mon." Lily took his lead, and followed him out to the grassy grounds of Hogwarts. 

Lily turned her head up towards the stars and moon. "God, it's gorgeous out here..." 

Remus smiled. "Yeah, it is." He then took off the cloak. 

Lily gasped. "They can see us now!" 

"Not for long, come on, race you to the far end of the field." He grinned broadly, then took off at a high pace. Lily groaned, then laughed, desperately trying to catch up to Remus. 

It was impossible, though. Remus was almost as short as Lily, but his legs were longer, and he was much better built. He reached the edge of the grounds far faster than she did, but at last, Lily reached him, panting and out of breath. 

"So, what now?" breathed Lily. 

Remus grinned slyly. "Have you heard of the Forbidden Forest, Lily?" 

Lily went white. "We aren't seriously going in there, are we?" 

"Why not?" asked Remus. "Don't be afraid, Lily, we're going together." Lily gave a weak smile. Perhaps it would work, but she just didn't know... 

Not that she had time to decide. Remus grasped her arm, then pulled her towards the dark stretch of trees that lined the Hogwarts ground. Lily was laughing in hysterics, her mind set, but her heart weak. 

However, she took hope again as she saw the forest, every sound in it peaceful, content... Surely it couldn't be as bad as it had been made out to have been? 

"Let's go," whispered Lily. Remus nodded, and took her hand. Lily blushed a deep scarlet, invisible to Remus in the pitch blackness of the night. 

The two friends strode off into the forest, admiring the sites before them. For though it was eerie being surrounding by darkness on all sides, the features of the forest seemed oddly lit up, and many were extremely beautiful. 

This was all minor compared to the feat that Remus had in store, however. When they had reached a small stream, Remus put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. Within seconds, a white mare came galloping towards them. 

"Oh, it's beautiful..." Lily's eyes went wide with wonder when the creature had fully stopped. She had just taken account of the golden horn perched atop its head. 

Lily flung herself at Remus. "Oh, it's a _unicorn_! How the hell did you get something so beautiful out here?!" Her eyes were dancing with merriment, and her gaze on Remus was only broken by the occasional fit of laughter. 

"They're innocent creatures, Lily, it only takes charm to call them to you...!" Remus didn't have the slightest intention of destroying her fun, however. 

He smiled. "Go ahead, Lily, you can touch it, it won't hurt you." Lily knew by the fairy tales she had heard as a little girl that unicorns preferred the touch of a young girl, so away her fantasies took her, breathlessly running her fingers through the unicorn's silver mane. 

Then, the unicorn's mystical blue eyes gleaming, it laid itself down upon the ground. Lily's eyes sparkled. 

"What does it want me to do?" 

Remus was overcome with laughter. "I wouldn't know, but I'd be willing to bet that it wants you to mount it!" He turned to her, his eyes glowing alone in the darkness. 

Lily pulled him next to her. "I'll only do it if you'll come with me..! I don't want to be taken away from you, I'll be completely lost!" 

"Don't be stupid, Lily, that unicorn will kill me if I try to get on, I'm not a woman, remember?" He looked at her, as if implying the obvious. 

"Well, Remus, neither am I, so I guess you'll just have to do." With these words, she had yanked him onto the back of the unicorn behind her, his feet dangling from the ground. 

Remus's face had paled. "I really don't think I'm going to like this..." Lily laughed. "Just hold onto me, okay?" Remus fastened his arms around Lily's waist, a bit too tight for comfort. Lily made no complaint, however, but said gently to the unicorn, "Come on now, let's go." 

As if the unicorn could really hear her, it galloped away into the night, it's silver coat gleaming, Lily's eyes wide with amazement, and Remus hopelessly wailing at the end of the mare's back. 

Lily laughed at Remus's anguish, and said cheerfully, "Lighten up, Remus, you won't have many more chances to do this!" 

Remus gave a sarcastic grin at Lily. "I should certainly hope not!" 

Lily laughed, and Remus tightened his grip on Lily. Lily was afraid that her diaphragm would burst... She and Remus were almost in tears... 

Remus had just begun to enjoy the ride when the unicorn came to a sudden halt. Remus hit Lily hard in her back with the top of his head. 

"Why did it stop?" she asked nervously. Remus glanced at her, his hands still in their prior position. He shrugged coolly, but he was just as nervous as her inside. 

Then Lily heard the snarling. She held tight to Remus's arms, and looked down to the ground. Circling below them was a large wolf, it's shoulders poised, it's long gray fur gleaming in the moonlight. 

"It's a werewolf," said Remus blankly. Lily began to sob hysterically, and she buried her face between Remus's shoulders. He patted her gently on the back, saying, "Don't worry, it'll be all right," more to himself than her. 

The werewolf took a swipe at the unicorn, and silver blood gushed from it's chest. The unicorn reared in pain, tossing her mane wildly. Lily and Remus both fell off, Lily on top of Remus. 

The unicorn tried vainly to stamp upon the werewolf, but to no effect, the werewolf instead got a clear lunge at it's underside. 

Lily was shrieking, and Remus was trying desperately to hush her. However, before he was able to accomplish this, the werewolf pricked his ears. He had heard the cry. He dashed over to the little girl, she looked easy enough prey... 

Lily's eyes widened in fear - and Remus jumped. He pushed Lily off of him, and blocked the path from the werewolf to his girl. The werewolf's fangs sunk deep into Remus's shoulder... 

"NO!" cried Lily, and she stupidly ran to the werewolf, pointing her wand between it's eyes. It stopped, and made no further movement. It feared that little twig greatly... 

Suddenly, the bleeding unicorn lowered it's magnificent head and speared the werewolf with it's golden horn. 

The werewolf let out a despairing moan, then trotted away into the night, bleeding fiercely. It disappeared out of view, then was never seen again by the eyes of man. 

Lily turned to the unicorn, then flung her arms around it's neck. 

"Oh, you were so amazing, thank you..." She knew the mare couldn't understand her, but it felt good to get the words out. 

It was at that moment that the unicorn fell to the ground, silver blood staining the leaf strewn ground. "Oh no," whispered Lily as tears filled her eyes. "Please, please don't die..." Lily buried her face in the unicorn's soft, white hair, tears staining the coat. She could feel the unicorn's rhythmic heart beats slow down... 

The unicorn let out a last whinny, then the breathing stopped. Lily burst into anguished tears. 

"It's dead, Lily," said Remus. 

"Don't you think I know that?!" she cried. "The poor thing, the poor, brave hearted dear..." She fell to the ground in a miserable heap. Her chest was aching with pain, and she was dearly afraid that her heart would burst with the pain that she felt, it was all so sudden... 

Remus look at her, his eyes sorrowful. He then drew her near to him, and patted her on the head. "Lily, I'm so sorry..." 

"I know," whispered Lily, still sobbing. "It's just --" Their eyes met. Both of them were in pain, Lily in her heart, Remus in his shoulder. 

Then he drew her in. Their lips met, and Lily's eyes opened wide in surprise. Then they fluttered closed again, and she held onto Remus for all that she wanted dear. However, despite the warmth, something was wrong... 

Lily drew back. 

"What's wrong?" asked Remus, looking slightly hurt. 

A bit nervously, Lily said incompletely, "Your - your mouth..." 

Remus inserted a single finger into his mouth, and his eyes opened wide. Lily suddenly knew what it must have been -- but it just _couldn't_ be... could it? 

"What is it?" she said with recoil. 

Remus shot a nervous glance up at the full moon, it's light pouring into the clearing in which he and Lily were in. "My - my teeth - they're..." He opened his mouth wide enough for Lily to see in, and she drew back, trembling. 

Each tooth in his mouth had extended into a fang. 

"I'm changing into the werewolf, Lily, you've got to get out of here!" Remus shouted at her. 

"I'm not leaving without you!" she cried at him. 

Remus felt his face burn. "I'll kill you if you stay, Lily, I won't be able to control myself, you'll be torn to pieces!" 

Hot tears were coming to her eyes. "But - if I leave - who knows what you'll do to yourself..!" 

"I don't care what happens to me, Lily!" Remus said angrily. "I care that you don't kill yourself! Get out of here, right now!" 

Lily was torn between her need for life and the desire for her friend's. 

Remus had begun to sprout fur, his haunches broadened... He snarled at her, then gave her a small push. "Run now, Lily, or I swear I'll chase you out..!" 

Lily knew that Remus wouldn't give up, and he was very near transforming into a complete wolf, so at once she took of through the forest as fast as her legs would carry her, tears streaming behind her. 

She was so afraid that she would trample over smaller animals, trip herself, or that Remus really would come after her, that all the way through the forest she allowed the tears to pour like waterworks. 

At last, she reached the edge of the forest, out of breath, and ran the full distance back to the castle. Then, as soon as she was within the safety of the castle doors, she collapsed.   


Sweaty and blistered, Remus pushed through the huge oak doors, only to find Lily lying at their base. 

He nudged her gently with his foot. "Lily, get up, it's me.." 

Lily sat up abruptly, then saw Remus. "Oh, Remus, you're okay!" She flung her arms around him, and latched her legs around his waist. Tears of joy were pouring onto his torn robes. 

"Lily, for gods sake..." However, he couldn't get Lily off of him. He burst out into hysterical laughter. 

He pulled the invisibility cloak over himself and Lily, then carried her (she wouldn't get down to the ground) up to the Griffindor Tower. They stood in front of the portrait and muttered the password. The fat lady which had been resting inside of the picture was startled, but she swung open nonetheless. 

Lily was hauled into the common room, and was dumped into an armchair. At last, she released her hold on Remus. 

"Thanks," said Lily. 

Remus grinned. "No problem, but we'd best be off to bed..." 

A deep look of concern edged onto Lily's face. "No, _I'll _be going up to bed. You..." She looked up at him meaningfully. "You have to tell Dumbledore." 

Remus sighed, then headed back towards the portrait hole. "All right, Lily, I will. Good night." With that, he left her alone in the room, and disappeared. Lily trotted up to the girl's dormitory, and laid herself to rest.

Z Z Z Z Z

Sunlight poured through the boys' dormitory, marking the four Griffindors, who seemed to be having a shallow conversation. And a lot of glares from a certain black haired boy. 

Sirius gave Remus a look of deep envy. James shook his head, wondering what Sirius's fascination was with the subject. 

"So," began Sirius for the fifth time. "You're a _werewolf_?" His eyes drooped, in disbelief and in longing. 

Remus rolled his eyes. "Yes, for god's sake, Sirius, I'm a werewolf! Get _over_ it!" Sirius pouted. 

"What _I'd_ like to know," started Peter. "Is how you got to be one. And, why'd you tell Dumbledore just now? Did it happen last year, this summer, this month?" 

"Last night," answered Remus. 

Sirius's eyes went wide. "Really? That's amazing, I didn't know Hogwarts had werewolves, you learn something new every day...!" 

"How'd you get bit?" asked Peter. 

"With it's teeth," replied Remus shortly. 

Peter rolled his eyes. "All right, then, where were you when you got bitten?" Remus glared at his three friends, sincerely wishing they'd all shut up. 

"Forbidden Forest." 

Sirius pounded his four poster with his hands. "How is it that you get to do every thing this year? Why aren't you letting us in on the action?" 

"You're _crazy_!" shouted Remus. "We're talking about getting a pair of wolf fangs sunk into your arm, how fun is that?" 

Sirius groaned. "Where was your sense of adventure..?" 

Remus shot a dirty look at him. "Probably back here with my love of death." Sirius grinned sarcastically. 

"Why were you in the Forbidden Forest?" asked James, speaking up for the first time that morning. 

Remus's entire face went red. He had hoped against hopes that this question wouldn't have been asked... he had been trying to stay off of this subject... now every curious eyed boy in the room would find out about Lily. 

"I went for a walk," he said, hoping this to be good enough an answer. 

James smirked at him mischievously. "You went through the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night _all alone_?" Sirius began to share the look in James's eyes. 

Remus went even more red. "Well... not... completely." 

The three other boys eyed each other curiously. Neither of them had accompanied Remus on his midnight walk... there was only one person left. 

"Oh no -- don't tell us -- you _didn't_ go with her --" 

Remus nodded, his face almost flaming. 

"Of all people!" laughed Sirius. "**_Lily_**!" 

There was a sudden movement from the common room, and, seconds later, Lily had appeared in the boy's dormitory. 

"You're not supposed to be up here," warned Peter. 

"I heard my name," Lily responded. She looked over at Sirius, who was hysterical with laughter. 

She sighed. "Boys," she muttered, then strode back down to the common room.   


It was at six o'clock that afternoon that James crept back from dinner and caught Lily on her way up towards Griffindor Tower. 

He quickly grabbed her arm, then led her out of the castle doors. Lily gave an indignant shriek. 

"Let go of me!" she screamed at him, surprised by his actions. 

James grinned. "You didn't mind it so much yesterday when Remus took you!" 

Lily went pink, but shot back, "Yeah, he's special." She smiled at him, then allowed herself to be pulled across the ground. 

James rolled his eyes, then let go of her hand. She fell backwards into the dirt. 

"Why'd you let go?!" she wailed. James laughed. 

"If you want to move, Lily, you can walk by yourself, I'm not going to carry you." Lily pouted, and James snorted. 

"So, what do you want me for?" 

"Oh," said James quickly. "Why do you assume that I want something with you? Couldn't I just be out here with you 'cause I like you?" 

Lily grinned. "That's funny. What do you want?" 

James sighed. "Just wondering what you and Remus were doing last night." 

Lily's face went red. "Why - why do you care?" she said as coolly as possible, trying to keep calm and not slap James. 

"Cause I do," replied James, desperate for the answer. 

Lily continued walking. "Nothing happened last night..." 

James clucked his tongue. "Something did, Lily, because Remus turned into a werewolf. I know that didn't happen as soon as you two got into the forest." 

"He got me a unicorn..." she said quietly, the memory still bringing her pain. 

"Oh, really? What a thoughtful way of showing someone you love them!" James laughed, and Lily hit him on the head. 

"You hit pretty hard for a girl, Lily..." 

"Thanks, I'm flattered." 

James grinned. "So, what happened with the unicorn?" 

"We rode away upon it, bells ringing, wrapped in each others arms, but only after we shared a passionate kiss." 

James laughed. "Oh Lily, get over yourself!" Lily smiled at him. 

"We really did, except the kiss was afterwards." 

James stopped walking and fell over. "You two - really - kissed??" 

Lily nodded. "Why, do you have a problem with that?" She smiled at him slyly. "Do you want me for your own?" She gave a loud snort at the disgusted look upon his face. 

"Yes, of course I have a problem with that! You two are pathetic! You've only known each other for three days! When you kissed, it was only your second day!" 

Lily - quite hurt - turned to him and said sharply, "Well, James, I'm sorry that someone likes me more than you do. Not everyone can sleep with someone and not feel a thing!" At the moment she said this, she clasped a hand to her mouth. 

James went pale. "All right, now I _know_ that you're sick." 

Lily was burning. "I didn't mean that I _enjoyed_ sleeping with you - you - you pervert!" 

"You've already used that name, Lily." 

"Really? Maybe there's a reason...!" She was just about to strangle James, he was quite annoying her. 

James swelled up, but he couldn't think of anything to say. His mouth kept opening and closing, but no words were issued. All that James could think of was to hurt Lily - emotionally, or... 

He chose physically. James extended a hand and slapped Lily. 

She whirled around and kicked him in the leg. "Don't you dare touch me!" 

"So, it's okay for you but not me?" 

"Exactly." 

James and Lily just stood staring at each other with something so remarkably like hatred. Lily didn't understand this. The two of them started off as friends... then they lost it. Naturally, they got back together again... but now, hatred was setting in for a second time. What was it with this boy? 

Lily sighed, then dropped to the ground. 

"What is it now?" asked James sternly from above her. 

"We keep doing this." 

"Doing what?" 

"Getting into these arguments, and risking our friendship." 

"Did you rehearse that? It really sounds so--" 

"Shut up!" Lily shouted. She then flopped over backwards and sighed. "You're just proving my point further..." 

James sat down beside of her. "Sorry Lily." 

"It's okay..." she stared gratefully into James's eyes. They were the queerest pair of friends, but they would make the cutest couple...   


Lily sat with James in the common room of the Griffindor Tower, rocking slowly back and forth in a fluffy pouf. 

James and Lily had been sitting together in the room for nearly an hour since they had gotten back from the grounds. Everyone else had fallen asleep, and neither of them being remotely tired, they had relied upon each others company. During the course of the afternoon walk, Lily and James had smoothed over their problems, and were now very much friends. It was strange the way those two worked out... 

"So," began Lily, once again choosing the subject of conversation. James wasn't much of a talker, and had been replying Lily with phrases such as, "Mm; yeah; I agree; of course," and so on. 

"I have a question," she asked. "What was I talking about that night you crept in to 'comfort' me?" 

James shrugged, being forced to answer for his own. "I dunno... you were just moaning, and saying something about the Dark Lord..." 

"Who's the Dark lord?" asked Lily curiously. 

"Beats me." 

Lily grinned. "My, my, what a help you are." 

James laughed, and reached over to grab her. However, he wasn't quite long enough, and in his vain efforts to reach Lily's pouf, he toppled the chair he was siting in over. Lily began to laugh -- she stopped as the chair caved over top of her. 

The back of the chair hit the pouf and made something of a ceiling. The arms folded down, trapping the two of them under the cushion. 

"Oh, yeah, this is great..." began Lily. James was overcome with laughter at his own stupidity. 

"Can we move it?" started James. 

Lily reached out with her arms and tried to heave it off of James's back. However, he was lying on top of her, and her arms held very little muscle, and so for the most part, this trial had no effect. 

"It won't budge," she said solemnly. 

"I'll use my wand," stated James. However, his arms were trapped under Lily's back, and this was pointless. "It would really be much more comfortable if you weren't laying on my arms..." 

Lily snorted. "Your arms? James, excuse me if I'm being blunt, but I believe you are covering my entire upper body!" 

"Lower body too." 

Lily laughed. "Dear god, James, don't say that, it sounds really wrong..." 

James grinned at her. "Back to the subject - get out your own wand." 

Lily put on a mock look of amazement. "Gee, James, what a _brilliant_ plan! Now, all I've got to do is go back up the girl's dormitory and retrieve it from my bedside, then march back down, crawl under this, and say the magic words - which, naturally, I don't know anyhow." 

James sighed. "At least we've got a plan." 

Lily laughed at him, wondering how he could crack jokes at a time like this... then again, if you looked at it from his point of view, it was pretty funny... he wasn't the one being smothered... 

"Do you reckon we should shout for someone?" asked Lily through fits of laughter, despite her pain; he wasn't really that heavy... 

James laughed right alongside of her. "All right, let's give it a go." He put on a high shrill voice and shouted, "Oi! Anyone! Me and Lily have been screwing around up until midnight and now we've knocked a chair over the top of us, of all the stupid things we've been --" 

Lily clapped a hand over his mouth, almost in tears of laughter. "James, please, don't...!" 

James grinned at her. "Thought you wanted to get out of here, eh?" 

Lily was now grinning madly, and his insults were only adding to her disturbing glee. "James, stop, if you don't quit making these jokes I'm going to wet my pants, and seeing as how..." She shot a meaningful glance at him. "Well, to be frank, you wouldn't want that to happen." 

James almost cracked a joke back, but, seeing that Lily was serious, he didn't want to test her. The two of them waited out the rest of the night together in silence.   


Peter trudged down the stairs, Sirius skipping behind him, Remus still snoring away in his four poster. 

The upturned armchair caught Peter's eyes. "What the hell?" He glanced at Sirius. "Will you help me turn this thing over?" 

Sirius eyed it carefully. "Uh, yeah, sure..." He walked over to the chair, and, with Peters aid, they hoisted it back up. Both of them began to grin stupidly as they caught a view of the treasure beneath. 

Lily was lying with her head on the pouf below, James's arms under her waist. James was lying directly atop her chest, his head resting just under hers. His legs were spread quite far from hers, however, it looked as though he had been trying to inch as far away as possible from them... 

"_This_," said Peter triumphantly. "Is rich." Sirius nodded. 

"Do you have a camera on you?" 

"Upstairs..." 

"Go get it!" ordered Sirius, and Peter fled up the stairway laughing. 

Sirius grinned as Peter - now out of breath - handed him the camera. "All right, now...." He and Peter shared identical smiles. "We take the picture." 

They found a spot in the corner of the room that made for a really great angle... it almost looked as if Lily and James were completely on top of one another... with a loud click and a blinding flash, the shot was taken. 

Lily sat up as well as James tried to. She went straight up, but James - used to being on the right side - attempted an upside down hunch, and with a head dive knocked Lily back down. 

This was too much for Sirius. He doubled up on the floor laughing, tears streaming down his face. "You've managed another night together, James Potter!" 

James rolled off of Lily's side with a small push, and the two of them sat upright together. At identical times, each stood up and pounded Sirius hard against the head. 

"It wasn't his fault," began Lily, with a grateful smile from James. "This time..." She got a sharp kick in the side from James, still grinning. 

"It really wasn't," added James to his own defence. "I just knocked a chair over the both of us..." His face contorted into concentration. "Oh , wait, scratch that, that didn't come out the way it was supposed to --" 

Peter couldn't help but grin like an idiot as he ran dancing across the room, the camera in his clutches. 

"You give that to me now!" cried Lily. "Or I'll break every bone in your body -- then the camera!" Peter laughed heartily at the threat. 

"That the best you can come up with Peterson?" 

Lily - still standing menacingly - grinned. "I'll take that challenge!" she said loudly. Then -- 

She ran. In her robes from the previous night, she tore across the common room after Peter, who didn't happen to be much of an athlete... within seconds, she had cornered him into the wall. The smug look across her face was priceless. 

"Are you ready to die Peter?" laughed Lily. Peter gave a sarcastic whimper, and Lily let him fall to the ground. 

"Really, Peter," said Sirius, shaking his head. "To let a girl chase you down like that, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!" He gave a last laugh, then went to help Peter up. 

James took the camera from Peter's hands. "You promise to destroy the film? Or, do we have to destroy it for you?" 

Sirius yanked it out of James's clutches. "We won't develop it, or, if we do, we'll be the only ones to see it, honest..!" He could only stare grinning at his prize of a camera through misty eyes. 

Lily laughed. "You are _so_ weird, Sirius... see you!" With that, she skipped off to join some of the other girls in the corner whom she had earned reproving glances from during her chase with Peter. 

Sirius laughed, led his friends up the staircase to wake Remus, muttering all the while, "That girl really does have issues..."   


Lily chose a seat next to Sirius and sat herself down that afternoon for dinner. 

Sirius grinned. "Hello, Lily, where've you been?" 

Lily answered proudly, "With the girls." Every boy gagged, but Lily beamed. "They're not half so bad as I thought they were, really...!" 

James combed his fingers through his hair. "But what's gone and happened to our favorite little tomboy?" He gave a long and loud laugh, and Lily couldn't help but join. 

"I've got to get myself friends of the same gender, James." 

Remus smiled at her warmly. "You're right though, if you want to be accepted, you really should get yourself some girlfriends... oh no, not like that," added Remus to the pained expression on Peter's face. Peter chuckled. 

"We start school subjects tomorrow, I don't know if I want to give up the weekend..." sighed Lily. 

"Yeah," agreed the four of them. "It'll be tough, though," said James. "Not knowing anything about it, I mean you, Lily. I know a few things, but not much at all... really..." He laughed nervously at the fire burning in Lily's eyes. "I - I didn't mean that in a bad way, you know..." 

Sirius laughed out loud. "Don't you worry, Lily, I don't know a thing about magic, nothing except Quidditch, and a good lot that's going to do me." 

"It could," said Remus. "I mean, the Quidditch program here is pretty good." 

Lily's eyes sparkled. "Oh, they have Quidditch here?!" She grinned broadly. "I'd like to try that!" 

"It's harder than it looks," said Peter. 

"Oh no, I've got no fear of heights, I'll bet you anything I'll make the Quidditch team." 

Sirius grinned. "I'll take that bet, Lily. You verses James. He's good, amazing, in fact." 

Lily smiled and grasped Sirius's hand. "I'll challenge that bet!" 

"Lily, don't, you've never flown in your life..!" 

Lily glared at James, and he backed down. She returned her gaze to Sirius. "You'll take the bet?" 

Sirius took her hand up. "You're on!" He grasped her hand, and she gave him a squeeze back, a bit tighter than she really should have. 

Sirius drew away his throbbing hand. "My god, girl, what are your hands made of?" Lily laughed. 

Without warning, the food appeared across the tables. "Love to chat," started Lily, trying vainly to keep herself from drooling. "But - food - you understand..." She took a couple of eating utensils, then tore into her plate of food. 

"Pig," said Sirius, giggling a bit. 

Lily glared up at him, her mouth full of turkey. James fell over to the floor, laughing at her and at his own misfortune.   


Lily trudged up the stairs, her hands being pulled jerkily by Remus and James. Both of them groaned with every step as her feet trailed the ground lazily. 

Remus gave an exasperated sigh. "Lily, can't you just walk? I mean, you weren't so heavy when I carried you a few feet, but trailing you across the ground for almost a mile..." 

James laughed, and let Lily's arm drop. Lily groaned. Remus caught on, and let Lily go - she flew to the ground. 

Lily slowly pulled herself up, her legs trembling. "Aw, you guys, I'm tired, and I walked a couple of feet on my own... don't I get a reward or something?" 

"Exercise is the greatest reward by far!" chuckled Sirius. The other three boys joined in on the laughter. Lily pouted, a smile creeping up on her face despite her actual weariness. 

"Oh, all right, I'll walk." She grinned, then skipped up the Griffindor Tower, James and Remus gaping at her. 

"Did you see that?!" asked James angrily. 

"Yes.." said Remus slowly. "All right, now we kill Lily..!" And with those words, Remus and James raced up to Griffindor Tower, screaming and laughing at the same time. 

Sirius prodded Peter with a finger. "We don't know them..." Peter nodded in silent agreement. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

*grins a bit hastily* Okay, that whole Remus Lily thing, that was TOTALLY essential for the story. I PROMISE that I will turn to James, but I just had to stick Remus in there, he's so cool! ^^;; I apologize countless times. Besides, I think James is much more cute, and thats always a good omen...

The more you find out about my personal life the less you like me!

Alright, to the point, I do not own anything in this story except the extra characters (not that they mean anything to me..) and the storyline. I wish I did, but I do not, so... um... yeah. Please don't sue me, I've not got much to offer! Oh woe is me...

THANK YOU! Everyone who has reviewed. YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO SPECIAL! And you are so much better than those poor lost souls who chose not to review my stories 'cause they are much to good for me. *pouts* Okay, sorry about that...

Please review, review, review! I will be eternally grateful to you, so please do write a little end note to me! Flames are welcome, but as I have stressed before, I'd prefer something sugar sweet, even if you have to lie... ^^

okay, see you! I don't have any more parts written, so sorry, the next chapters might take a while to get up.

~arch angel


	4. Through the Air as if on Silver Wings

_~*Roses of Plenty*~_

_ *Chapter Four*_

_Through The Air As If On Silver Wings..._

_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, I take no credit whatsoever for them. Please enjoy the fic..._

_*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*_

Lily awoke drearily the next morning, toppling out of bed as light poured in on her body from an open window. 

"Rise and shine, Lily!" shouted Anne gaily, who was already half dressed. Lily glared at her, using her hand to shield the light from her eyes. 

"What are you doing getting me up this early?" asked Lily groggily. 

Anne laughed. "Lily, it's not the weekend anymore, and after breakfast we've got _classes_!" 

Lily jumped out of her four poster, trailing blankets to the floor. Anne giggled, her laughter muffled quickly by the torrent of sheets that were thrown atop her beautifully brushed hair. 

"What's the big idea?!" growled Anne. 

Lily was almost in tears. "Oh, sorry, I've gotta get ready... I'm so dead... I'm never going to make it on time -- !" 

"Sorry Lily, I've still got a way to go, including my hair --" 

Lily was hardly listening. She pulled on a fresh pair of robes and jammed on a shoe, all the while tying her hair back into a neat bun. After at least thirty minutes, she stood up, dazzling, ready for the day. 

She wore a triumphant grin. "Ready!" 

Anne was glaring angrily at her. "That's great, Lily, because breakfast started twenty minutes ago." Lily flushed. 

"Well, what are we waiting for?" She gave a desperate glance at Anne. "If we're going to get at least one slice of toast, we've got to _run_!" Lily grabbed Anne's hand and dashed down the stairs, Anne screaming the entire way. 

Anne and Lily reached the Great Hall just as everyone began to exit to their classes. Anne shot a look - somewhere between anger and hunger - at Lily. Lily's stomach dropped, to a timely growl. 

As James and the other three boys came out, however, they were grinning widely at Lily and Anne, in silent laughter. Lily caught James by the throat of his robes. Anne took this opportunity to run towards the class - as far away from possible as Lily and the other four boys. 

"_What_, pray tell, is funny James?!" roared Lily. 

James snorted. "If you don't let go Lily, I might not give you the breakfast that I saved you." Lily eyes grew wide with affection. 

She let go of his robes. "You saved me breakfast, darling?" 

James laughed. "No, sorry Lily, but I'll help you break into the kitchens and we'll swipe some for you." 

Lily's eyes narrowed, and Sirius laughed madly. "We'll miss our first class," said Lily in a worried tone. "It's the first class of the school year, we really shouldn't..." 

Sirius took a schedule and peered at it carefully. "We'd be skipping Potions, but we'd be back in time for the next class..." He smiled. "Potions, that's okay then, Lily. I'm good at Potions, I'll teach you everything that our Potion's master will this afternoon, I promise. But come on and give us a laugh, and we'll high tail it to the kitchens. Please?" Sirius fell back to his dog face, complete with the occasional whimper, and Lily giggled merrily. 

"Oh, all right," she said faintly. "I give in, let's make our way to the kitchens..." She began to walk forward, but abruptly stopped as she felt James's hand on her shoulder. 

"The kitchens would be the other way..." 

Lily gave a small and shrill laugh. "I knew that..." 

"I'm sure you did," said Peter sarcastically. Remus laughed, then took Lily's arm - to a muffled cough from Sirius. 

"I know the directions," began Remus. "And I won't tease you the entire way either." The four boys chuckled a bit, Lily rolled her eyes, and the five of them began on the trip down to the kitchens.   


"So... this is the place?" James nodded in response to Lily. They all stood staring up at a portrait of a basket full of fruit. 

Sirius reached over towards the lowest fruit - a pear - and slowly began to -- 

"Why on earth are you tickling the painting, Sirius?" sputtered out Lily, in a fit of choked laughter. 

Sirius reached back and pushed her gently. "Shut up, you, I flatter myself that I know a tad more about this whole business than you." Seeing that Sirius was right, Lily made no further argument towards the subject. 

Sirius's efforts proved true, as well. As soon as Sirius's finger touched the pear, it began to shake uncontrollably, then abruptly transfigured itself into a gleaming brass doorknob. 

Lily applauded. "Way to go, Sirius!" She beamed at him, who in turn bowed, his long black hair falling into his handsome face. 

"Ladies first," whispered James, and he turned the knob quickly, opening a large doorway. Lily stepped inside and gasped. 

The kitchen was a large, odd place, filled with all sorts of pots, pans, and various cooking utensils, but most impressive of all were the hundreds of elfin creatures slaving around the tables. They all wore long white garments stamped with the emblem of Hogwarts. 

"Oh, look!" squealed Lily. James rolled his eyes. 

"They're house elves, Lily," said Sirius coolly. "They're the ones that heat the fires, make the food, every other little thing that you can imagine, they're on it, wonderful little creatures." 

Lily smiled, then began to walk over towards one. "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to have any marmalade toast left over, would you?" 

James elbowed her. "Lily, once you've gotten into here, you might as well use the opportunity wisely." He turned towards another elf that wasn't quite so busy. "Would you mind terribly if I had a couple of cream puffs?" 

Lily's elf returned shortly, piling stacks of bread into her arms. Lily's eyes sparkled with delight. "Thank you ever so much!" 

The elf went scarlet, grinned, then strode away to another patch of working elves. The second one returned carrying an armload of not only cream puffs, but every other pastry imaginable. 

Lily stood gaping as she watched James shove doughnuts into his mouth two at a time. "You're such a pig!" she laughed out. 

"Thank you," said James, spitting out pieces of bread as he went. Sirius's face drooped. 

"I hope you didn't spit on any of the cakes," Sirius said sadly. "I really had my heart set on them..." He grinned at James, then grabbed random desserts from his friend's arms. Lily snorted, wondering how the two of them could really eat so much. 

"All you ever think about is food," Lily longed to say. However, it came out more like, "Would you mind if I had a couple of those tarts at the bottom?" 

"My, my, our little piglet has rejoined our ranks. Help yourself," said James, grinning broadly at her. Lily grabbed a few of the pastries and stuffed her face, content as a kitten after a warm bowl of milk. 

Peter stole a glance at his watch. "Oh crap, the next class starts in eh...." He squinted harder at his watch. "Five minutes, c'mon, we've got to go _now_." The five of them - three still holding onto various fried breads - raced out of the kitchens and tore down the hallways. 

"I'm just running alongside you four, but where exactly are we going?!" shrieked Lily. James went red. 

"I'm just following Sirius, how would I know?" 

Peter and Remus nodded, and all heads turned to Sirius, who stopped suddenly in his tracks. "Why is everyone staring at me?!" 

Remus went pale. "You - you do know where we are going, correct?" 

Sirius looked down and held his hands behind his back, whistling slightly to avoid notice to his flaming face. 

"You really don't?!" cried Lily. "After a summer of sneaking back in here to write that map, you haven't got this whole place memorized?!" Sirius shook his head. Lily fumed a bit, her red hair only adding to the effect. "I'm gonna kill you, Sirius Black!" 

The young, bespectacled witch came along at precisely that moment. "Excuse me, students, what exactly are you doing out here at a time like this?! I believe you should be in class --" 

"We were trying to find our way, Professor," said Lily innocently. However, the sundry pastries in her arms were a slight give away. 

The young Professor turned to Lily, Sirius, and James. "Evans, Black, and Potter, I presume?" 

The three nodded. "Professor McGonogal, we apologize, but -- " 

"Apology in a situation like this is simply not enough. Come with me, each of you will be receiving detentions." She stole a glance at the overhead clock. "Only after, however, your next class." With that, she sent them all off in the right directions, each one of them steaming in embarrassment. 

"To do that to me!" screeched Lily. "It wasn't my fault, I cannot _believe_ you all got me into this trouble, and then I got the blame, just because I happen to like pastries a bit..." 

James laughed. "I'm in it too, Lily, we can brave detention." 

"It's only the third day back and my reputation is already spoiled!" said Lily in her most anguished voice, tears fighting against the brim of her eyes. 

"Really, Lily," began Sirius. "The way you're acting, you'd think it was something bad..." 

"It is bad!" screamed Lily, piercing the eardrums of the other four. 

"Excuse me," said a small wizard in front of the classroom which they had just entered. "I would prefer it if you would refrain from screaming in my classroom..." 

Lily flushed and bowed graciously to the Professor. "Professor, Professor Flitwick, I apologize completely, please excuse me, my manners are unacceptable, but if you can forgive me..." 

Flitwick smiled. "What a polite young lady, I can hardly believe it was you who was screaming only a fraction of a minute ago." He motioned towards a cluster of empty desks near the back of the room. "Seat yourselves, please." 

Lily grinned. Professor Flitwick was certainly letting her slide as far as the rules went. She humbly seated herself at a desk in the far back and pulled out a few books, giving the Charms teacher her full attention. 

Lily listened attentively as the professor spoke, taking in quite every thing he said. By the end of the day, they were at last allowed to experiment with their wands. 

Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all gathered around a table in the same location as they had been during the lesson. 

"All right," began Remus. "Now what?" 

Lily grinned. "It's just experimental time, to test out some of the charms we've been speaking of." 

James blanched. "Um.. and that... would be..." 

Lily groaned. "You weren't listening?" James shook his head. Lily laughed. 

"Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me, James." Lily giggled, then eyes the other three boys. "Anyone else know what they're doing?" 

All of them backed down except for Remus. ("Really? I'm the only one of you four that was listening aside from Lily?!") 

Remus grinned shortly afterwards, however. He pointed his wand directly at James and muttered a short incantation under his breath. Instantly, James fell to Sirius's feet, looking up into his eyes with longing. 

"Enticing Charm," said Remus with a grin. 

Lily rolled her eyes. "Remus, I can hardly believe that they taught us that one today." 

"No, I learned it from James, poor thing, look at him now..." James was trying dearly to latch his arms around Sirius's waist, to no effect, Sirius kept kicking him sharply in the head. 

Lily pointed her wand at Sirius and whispered another spell. Sirius's arms fell to his side, his feet positioned themselves next to each other, and he stood still as a statue. "They really did teach that one, though I doubt we were supposed to try it out...!" Lily laughed, and Sirius twinged. 

"You deserved it though, Sirius," said Lily shortly. "You were just about to destroy the little brain cells that James keeps prize up in that great empty space." She smiled innocently at James, but James's eyes were instead fixed on Sirius, who now had no defense against James. 

Lily's face went green. "Please take that charm off of James, it's sickening to watch this." 

"All right then," said Remus with an air of disappointment. "But it _was_ highly amusing..." He twirled his wand and shot out the counter charm against the enticement. James immediately fell to the ground, sprawled across the floor. 

Lily laughed at him. "You and Sirius are so adorable together!" she squealed with delight. 

Remus chortled. "Exactly what I told him only a few nights ago." By the venomous stare that James was giving him, Remus shut his mouth, and remained quiet. Sirius only stood there, a blank look across his face.   


Sirius limped slowly through the corridors, James and Peter holding him up. It wasn't easy, though, as Sirius was taller than the both of them. 

"So, tell me Lily, _why_ did you freeze me?" asked Sirius, bad tempered. 

"You were hurting poor little James when all he was trying to do was be affectionate." She shot a sarcastic grin at James, who looked down at the floor, reddening. 

"Affectionate?!" shrieked Sirius. "He was trying to pull me down to the floor, I was only defending myself." 

"Quite frankly," began James. "I can't believe you put that hex on _me_. You're a horrible, _horrible_ person, Remus." Remus grinned with pride at his work well accomplished. 

"Oh, shut up you three," snapped Lily. "We've got our flying class next, and Sirius here is going to have to learn to walk himself for this one." 

"You still have that bet, remember that," stated Sirius as Peter and James let his arms go. "And you've got to remember_ after_ you lose." 

"Ha ha," said Lily sarcastically. "I'm going to win, no doubt about that." She held up one of James's arms. "Look at this, sickly and thin, no muscle at all." 

James rolled his eyes. "Your arms don't count, it's your legs." 

"Well," started Lily in a ladylike tone. "You don't well think that I'm going to hold up one of your _legs_ do you?" 

"You'd better not do so much," huffed James. Sirius gaped at the pair. 

"You two shut up, it's going to drive me crazy." 

"Drive you crazy? You're his best friend, Sirius Black, you put up with him every day!" 

"That's my point," said Sirius steadily, his shoulders drooping in emphasis. Lily shrugged. "Whatever.." 

Remus laughed, then hurried off through the doors, as they were quickly approaching them. James quickly followed him, then Sirius and Lily. Peter lagged behind the rest, far too lazy and out of shape to run.   


Madam Hooch blew her whistle shrilly, and each student held their hands tightly to their ears. 

"All right now, come all of you and pick out a broom." She waved her hand towards a large pile of brooms, and the students all scurried off to pick out the best broom that they could manage. 

Sirius dived headfirst into the pile, and pulled out five highly polished broom, handing one to each of his friends. As James read the title on the side of the sleek wood, his eyes sparkled. 

"Oh... my... Cleansweeps, these things just came out... how'd the school afford them?" He smiled and straddled the broom, patting it affectionately. 

Lily looked from their brooms to the older ones, not being quite able to tell the difference. Her thoughts were interrupted by another sharp whistle. 

"All right, now, mount the brooms like so.." Madam Hooch pulled out a broom very like the one Lily clutched in her hand and sat herself upon it, her feet just touching the ground. Lily put the broom under her legs and allowed herself to float lightly above the ground. 

Suddenly, the headmaster Dumbledore strode out onto the field and tapped Madam Hooch upon the shoulder. He whispered something into her ear, and her face grew white. She turned back to her class. 

"Something's come up, terribly sorry, if you would just wait for me, really appreciate it.." She disappeared into the castle. 

"Perfect," said James with a smile. He turned to Lily. "Now, you can practice, and I'll - er - _help_ you." Lily returned with a confident grin. 

"Fine then, if you must have it your way!" She kicked her feet against the ground instinctively and rose a few feet off of the ground. She rose smoothly, barely using any force whatsoever. James, however, was already surpassing her height by ten feet. 

"Fine, I'll take this full throttle!" Lily jerked her broom upwards, and shot towards James at an alarming speed. She moved in such a smooth path, hardly breaking a sweat as she drove straight upwards, breaking the laws of gravity. 

James's eyes widened. This girl was good, maybe even better than himself, and this was only her first time... She reached him easily. 

"Hello James. Weather's nice up here, isn't?" She shot him a trying glance. 

"So what, you're good. So am I, and better for that." He grinned, then began slowly inching forward, challenging her to race him. 

Lily gave a natural and steady laugh. "Okay, let's go!" James took off, but she shot out right after him. It was the most blissful feeling she had ever felt. 

The wind whipped her from under her hair, and all around her face, her robes were thrashing dangerously, she hoped against hopes that she wasn't flashing anyone below. 

Slowly, she began to pick up her pace, she was edging in front of James. Lily closed her eyes and released her grip on the broom, her legs the only things attached to the thin strip of wood. It was as if she were gliding through the air on wings, it was so calm, so fast paced. 

Her fantasies were interrupted as someone grabbed her leg, and she nearly toppled off of her broom. James was directly behind her, holding onto her. 

"You cheater!" she screamed at him through a face full of both laughter and anger. 

"You're beating me, what am I supposed to do?" said James desperately, still clutching onto her. He was almost in tears of laughter that a girl - and one on her first time, no doubt! - could really be beating him on a race through the skies. 

"You could give up!" was Lily's short response. 

"We'd better be getting back, if you know what I mean..." 

"Yeah, right, of course. If Madam Hooch catches us, we're dead..." Then Lily took off towards the field in which she had taken off, James letting go off her leg and shooting out from under her. 

"You know," began James to Lily. "Remus was wrong about that..." 

"About what?" she asked curiously to James, who was now leading the way, herself obediently following. 

James laughed loudly. "Pink undies look much better on you than blue." Lily's face went a ghastly green.   


James and Lily landed back down upon the ground just as Madam Hooch stormed out of the doors, neither one of them receiving any sort of detention or point deduction. 

"What is it?" asked the small boy that Lily had seen at the boats. 

Madam Hooch shook her head, her short gray hair bobbing off of her shoulders, her sharp eyes trembling. "It's - it's - nothing, really, nothing that concerns you, at least..." 

"You can tell us..!" chorused the class, their brooms lying forgotten across the ground. 

"It's nothing, but I've been instructed to lead you back to your dormitories, classes are canceled for the whole of the day, please, please just - just make your ways back to your dormitories.." She pointed a long, thin finger towards the end of the field towards Hogwarts Castle, and every student trailed off towards it without another word. It was only as they made it through the doors that whispers broke out through the school like wildfire. 

"I wonder what it could be?" 

"What on earth would they have to cancel classes for? The weather's fine --" 

"What do you reckon?" asked Lily to James as they all exited towards Griffindor Tower, taking every shortcut that Sirius knew. 

"I don't know, nothing like this has ever happened before..." 

"How would you know?" reasoned Remus. "You've only been here for a couple of days!" James went red. 

"Well, I've never heard of anything like this happening, so I wouldn't know what's going on." Lily shrugged at this comment and climbed through the portrait hole as the painting swung open to a password from Peter. The room was already completely crowded with fellow Griffindors, all white and panicked. 

The very atmosphere was frightening, as no one seemed to know what to do, or why to do it. Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter quickly found an empty spot of floor, and they sat themselves down, breaking into conversation instantly. 

"And during flying classes, yet!" shouted James and Lily simultaneously. They shot side grins at each other, though torn at the indignity of it all. 

"I wouldn't complain," said Remus in a serious air. 

"He's right," noted Sirius. "It must be something very serious..." He turned to Peter. "You're being awfully quiet, do you know anything of this matter?" 

Peter shook his head nervously, but it was obvious that he knew more than the rest of them. However, he looked downright scared, and neither of the other four had the heart to badger the truth out of him. His face was pale, his eyes were wide and watery, and his entire body was trembling. 

Lily for one was curious as to what was going on. "Would anyone like to have a run with me through the halls to see what's the matter?" 

Remus shot a look of horror at her. "Are you crazy, Lily? You might get yourself killed!" 

Sirius sniggered. "Oh, come off it Remus, I'm sure it's not that serious, but you never know... sorry Lily, but I think I'll pass." 

James, however, smiled. "C'mon Lily, let's go get my cloak..." Lily knew that he meant the Invisibility Cloak, and she crept silently out of the Common Room into the boys dormitory, grabbed the cloak, threw it over the heads of James and herself, then stalked out of the Griffindor Tower. 

"How come you want to come with me?" whispered Lily with a sly grin as the pair of them slunk silently through the hallways. 

"I want to find out just as much as yourself why everyone's in such a fuss, mind." 

"I wouldn't dream of it," said Lily calmly. At last, they reached the classroom where Transfiguration was taught and heard hurried voices being issued from it. 

"How did this happen?" 

"I don't know, I honestly don't know!" A dry sob pierced the air around them. 

"So, this does mean that he's reached his full power then, Albus?" 

"Afraid not, Minerva, I fear that this is only the beginning. Someone such as this will surely want more once they've had the first taste..." 

"What in god's name are you rambling on about?" 

"Can't you see?! After these first few deaths, more murders will occur, Voldemort's a very powerful wizard, and his supporters are vast, I regret to say that this is more than serious, after all, that poor child, Gregory, I believe?" 

"Yes, that's the one, poor thing. The warmhearted dear, how he's fought through for hope that he would receive his mother's praise - but now -" The sobs once again echoed off of the walls. 

"So, the Dark Lord has killed the parents of Mr. Patrick Gregory, correct?" said a solemn voice, it sounded as though the speaker was trying dearly to stiffly a tremble in their throat. 

"Yes, but other murders have already been reported across the country --" 

"I swear it to you all, we cannot allow things such as this to prevent our students from being educated -- !" 

"We're talking about the death of a student's_ parents_ Albus, be reasonable!" 

"Voldemort wouldn't dare harm any student while they are at this school, I will make sure of it! Protection will be ensured, but we cannot panic, not in a time like this, we must hold together, brace ourselves, and be strong as will might make us!" 

"Oh - how right - how noble - true!" A frail cry rang into the hall, where Lily and James stared at each other, white faced, though neither could really see the other. 

"So, Patrick's mother and father were killed," said Lily breathlessly. James nodded, and for Lily's sake, he added a short "yes." 

"I can't believe this..." said Lily slowly, and she sank to the ground, pulling James with her. "Of all things, I didn't think - I was too ignorant -" She burst into tears. 

James slapped her across the face. "Lily, stop it! You're not ignorant, I'm terribly sorry, but honestly --" Lily's wails only became louder, and James broke a small sweat at the noise she was causing. He began to worry less about their being heard, however, but more about Lily's emotions. 

He gently stroked his hand through her hair, softly patting her back, embracing her tightly. "Oh please, Lily, don't cry, it will be okay, I promise you..." 

Lily's sobs stopped, and she slowly removed his hand from her waist. "Thank you, James, we'd best get back up to the common room and tell the others..." He took her hand and hoisted her back up, and the two of them headed back up towards Griffindor Tower.   


"You're - you're joking - right?!" asked Sirius, white-faced. 

James and Lily shook their heads sullenly, each revealing the dark truth. Remus got to his feet immediately from his four poster. 

"I told you it was something serious, but I didn't think that it would be like this..." 

Lily sighed, casting a weary eye at James and Sirius, who were still sitting nervously on the ends of their beds. She flopped down backwards onto Peter's - he had begun to feel queasy after she and James left, and was escorted to the school nurse. With the absence of Peter, the group had met up in the boy's dormitory to discuss the event that had occurred only hours before. 

"I still don't understand, though," began Sirius darkly. "Why they canceled our classes, it didn't occur at Hogwarts, we're all perfectly safe here... we've got Dumbledore, I mean to say..." 

Lily shook her head. "No, the teachers - they've - well, I reckon they've got to meet, to discuss what they're going to do with Gregory - bless the soul..." Her voice trailed off slowly. "I still don't know if I can believe it." 

"You've got to, though," said James quietly. "We're all going to have to. It'll be a bit tough, of course... going through this all in the condition we're in..." He sighed and turned to face the ceiling. "We're all so lost..." 

Lily gave a deep sigh and pulled Peter's sheets up around her neck. She didn't care if this wasn't her room, there was no way she'd be able to face her other friends - her eyes bloodshot and her face tearstained. She lay down among the vast scarlet blankets, watching James, Sirius, and Remus through blurred vision, and eventually drifted off.   


Lily awoke later that afternoon, a very disgruntled looking Peter staring her in the face. Lily went red at once. 

Immediately she scrambled out of the bed, throwing the sheets and blankets back onto the mattress, hoping Peter would forgive her. "Oh, very sorry Peter, I didn't know what had happened to you..." 

"And so you decided to claim my four poster?" he asked with a grin. Lily gave him a playful shove in the arm. 

"Really, though," she said from the floor, Peter staring down at her. "What's wrong with you? I mean, going to the nurse, being so pale when you found out about the attack - no, no, that was _before_ we knew it was an attack." She paused there. "At least, before the _rest_ of us knew it was an attack..." 

The grin from Peter's face instantly dissolved into a scowl. "Why do you assume I knew something that the rest of you didn't? I was just as confused as the rest of you!" 

Lily gave him a small, knowing prod in the chest. "Not true. No one else knew what to worry about aside from you... I know that you knew something Peter, please tell me what it is!" Her brilliant green eyes flashed yearningly. 

Peter swelled up and shouted angrily, "I do not know anything of the sort, Lily Evans! Now, kindly remove yourself from the boy's dormitory!" A bit shocked - and a bit hurt - Lily drew herself up and walked the length out of the boy's dormitory and into the common room, where the rest of the boys were anyway. 

Peter shook his head pathetically as she left, and the moment she was out of sight, he fell into anguished tears. 

"Hello!" said Lily merrily as she skipped into the Common Room. The rest of the Griffindors shot surprised looks at her, some of them dropping the books in bewilderment that she could be so ignorant when a Ravenclaw student's parents had just been killed. Lily had forgotten, and almost died of embarrassment when she realized what she had done. 

James, however, was sniggering her way. "Way to go, Lily," he said with a false morbid air as she walked next to him. 

"Oh, shut up James Potter, I was asleep, I had forgotten." Lily shot him a pleading look, and he only batted his eyes with a pouted lip. 

"The world really doesn't revolve around you, you really should be a little more considerate." Sirius shook his head at James's words. 

"A little? A lot --" Lily gave him a brutal punch in the jaw. "Lily, what the hell -- why'd you do that?!" 

Lily threw her arms down to her side. "I can't take you two any more!" James and Sirius shot triumphant glances at each other. Remus walked over to her and put his arms around her shoulders. 

"Come on, Lily," he said, grabbing the Invisibility Cloak and headed towards the portrait. "Forget them, I want to show you something anyway..." Lily's expression brightened as she gave Remus a grateful smile. She clutched his hand, then disappeared through the portrait hole. 

James turned to Sirius, shaking his head. "Do those two realize how disgusting they are when they do that together?" He pulled a face. Sirius laughed. 

"Well, I don't deny that they are a bit - eh - well, a bit too sweet for my taste." He grinned at James. "But don't you worry, when it's your turn with Lily, you'll act just the same!" James made a gagging motion. 

"Excuse me, I wouldn't wander off with that redheaded tomboy while romantically batting my eyes for my _life_." He smiled to himself, wondering how he and his friends could possibly remain so calm during such a crisis. "_Talent, I suppose_," he thought to himself. He gave a small laugh.   


Remus and Lily entered the Common Room when the clock neared midnight, laughing and gossiping. They came to a sudden halt when they met two pairs of eyes gleaming in the darkness of the room. 

"Hello Sirius, James," said Remus calmly, lighting a nearby candle with his wand. Light flooded the room. Sirius and James squinted their eyes tightly. 

"Why are you two back so late?" asked James possessively, rather more protective of Remus than Lily. 

"We - we found a quaint little room full of instruments and this great big mirror, it was wonderful --" started Lily dreamily, but she was interrupted by a cough from James. 

"A mirror? A large mirror with letters engraved upon the sides -- a golden frame?" Lily nodded. 

"Why? It was quite marvelous, in fact . . ." 

"I've heard things about that mirror, I've picked up things from the staff. It's going to be moved out of Hogwarts pretty soon, someone else is going to be needing it - something like that..." He purposely forgot to mention the powers of the mirror. "So, what did you see in it?" he asked. 

Lily beamed. "Oh, so glad you asked! It was the queerest thing, really, because when I looked in it, I wasn't the only one in the mirror. Me and Remus were there, standing together, our arms around each other, but we were much older in the picture, much adults.. and there - there was a little child at the hem of my gown, with wild red hair and electric blue eyes, he was the most adorable thing, really -" Her voice hushed as she reached the part about the child. 

James's eyes widened, and Sirius feared that they would pop out of his head. "What's wrong?" asked Sirius. James snorted. 

"That - that mirror is the Mirror of Erised... it shows the truest wishes and dreams of the viewer..." He glanced at Lily, who was now beet red. "Which would mean..." He shot a wicked grin towards Remus and Lily. "You two, or at least in Lily's eyes..." 

Lily gave a small whimper, before punching James square in the eye. He toppled over, blood streaming down his face. Lily's face paled. 

"James! James, oh please, please answer me!" Tears poured down to the ground, and she fell down next to James, stroking her fingers through his hair, tears staining the front of his robes. "James, please, I'm so sorry, I can't believe I did it to you!" She clutched his shoulders tightly and threw her face close to his. 

"Really," groaned James. "I just need to make it down to the Hospital Wing, Lily, I forgive you..." 

Lily pulled him up, then flung her arms around him, almost knocking him over again. "Oh, I'll take you James, it's all my fault..." 

"No argument there," said Sirius quietly to Remus, who in turn nodded. Lily was too busy to notice, she was escorting James down to he portrait hole. Within seconds, they had disappeared. 

"For a girl, she's awfully violent," noted Sirius. Remus shot a desperate look at him. 

"Oh, don't be so harsh on her," remarked Remus. "She may be a tomboy, but she's quite an amazing one, you know..." Sirius shook his head. "I wouldn't know." 

James opened the door to the Madam Pomfrey's office and stepped inside, a hand still over his eye. "Madam Pomfrey?" he called out into the darkness, and shortly a witch strode over to him, looking quite sleepy. 

"What is it? What are first years like yourselves doing at this time of night?!" James reluctantly lifted his hand from his eye, revealing the mess beneath, and Madam Pomfrey gave a small shriek. 

"Dear me, child, who did such a thing to you?" James jerked a finger irritably at Lily, who was busy sinking into the shadows. Madam Pomfrey looked her over with disgust. 

"A young lady like yourself doing something like this... hard to believe, really!" 

Lily rocked back and forth nervously, and at last muttered, "He was teasing me about - eh - another boy named Remus Lupin..." A smile spread across Madam Pomfrey's face. 

"You young ones are falling in love so early." Lily went white and shook her head and waved her hands furiously. "No, no, that's not what I meant!" 

James grunted, as if to indicate that he was in pain. Madam Pomfrey turned to him, and her stern face whisked back. "Young lady, I'm afraid that you'll have to get back to bed, your _friend_ here will be all right by morning, but I think he'd better stay the night." She gave her a wave before ushering her out of the wing. Lily scowled, then stomped away to the Griffindor Tower.   


When Lily awoke that morning, only one thing was on her mind : James. She crept quietly to Anne's bed and nudged her in the side. 

"What is it?" asked Anne drearily. "Classes are canceled today as well, Lily, go back to sleep or something..." 

"You've got to come with me down to the Hospital Wing, we've got to go check on James." 

Anne bolted upright in her four poster. "James? Why is he in the Hospital Wing?" A curious look was spread across her thin and tan face. 

"Eh... well, you see, I sort of gave him a - a black eye...." Lily told her quietly. Anne gaped, her mouth wide open. She then broke into a laugh. 

"All right, let's go fetch him then." She pulled on a pair of robes and slipped on some shoes, looking at Lily - who was already dressed, her hair resting at her shoulders in ringlets. 

Lily nodded, then grabbed Anne's arm. They raced through the common room, where other sleepy Griffindors stared at them curiously, only half awake. Lily and Anne paid no heed to this as they dashed through the portrait hole and disappeared into the hallways. 

After taking her fair amount of turns through the castle, she had almost learned the main floor's layout by heart. They made it easily to the Hospital Wing, panting at the door. Lily slowly reached up a hand and knocked. The door creaked open slowly, and without warning, Lily and Anne were pulled in through. 

"Hello James," said Lily civilly to the figure that was now resting on the white flannel sheets of a small bed. 

James drew his finger to his lips. "Do be quiet Lily, I'm not supposed to have visitors...! Don't know why you thought you could just come in." 

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, excuse me. I knocked, it was _you_ that pulled me in." She grinned at him. James smiled sarcastically, squinting his eyes, which was very effective as James's eyes was still swollen. 

"Listen, could you just wait outside for me?" asked James impatiently. Lily hung her head and turned to face the door. 

"I'll wait, James dear. I woke up at the crack of dawn --" 

"It's eleven." 

"I don't care. I've been worrying about you only to be pushed out of the Wing, but that's okay." She smiled to herself at James's drooped face. He'd fell straight into her trap. She stalked out of the room, trying her hardest to look hurt, Anne trailing closely behind her. 

As the door closed behind them, Anne squealed with delight. "Lily, you're awesome, that was the best one you've ever come up with!" She wrung her hand, as if presenting her with an award. 

Lily flushed, but grinned all the same. "Yeah, I know, I'm brilliant." She and Anne shared triumphant glances. 

"You think he'll come after you?" 

"No doubt about it." 

And - on cue - the door to the Hospital Wing burst open, revealing James, now completely dressed. "Madam - Pomfrey - said - I could come..." He raced over to Lily and grabbed her hand, then he caught her grin. "You horrible little girl - you tricked me!" 

Lily nodded. "Oh well, I'm glad you're okay. Let's take it over to the Great Hall, I'm starving--" Anne shook her head pitifully at her friends, then stomped off to join them at the Griffindor table for a breakfast that just happened to include a wide range of pastries. James shot a look at Lily, who giggled in her seat. They were back together again... 

Z Z Z Z Z

"Checkmate!" announced Lily proudly. She looked up at James, his glasses gleaming handsomely, his eyes shining merrily, drooping a bit at the predicament which he currently found himself in. 

"How is it that a commoner like you has managed to beat me in every game of chess we've played since the beginning of the year?" James shook his head, and Lily gave a full laugh. 

She shook her full red hair back behind her shoulders, grinning madly. She had beat him in every chess game, now, hadn't she? And it had been - well, it had seemed like more than a year. It was hard to believe that it had only been nine months since they first met that fateful day in Flourish and Blotts book shop. 

"Talent, I suppose," answered Lily. Sirius yawned from an armchair next to the chess board. Remus prodded him in the side to shut him up. Peter only smirked. 

"_Really_," said Sirius with exasperation. "We've been watching you two play chess for over an hour. Can we please go out and do something we can all agree upon?" 

Remus laughed. "Sirius is right, you know. Let's all do something time worthy before we're shipped off back to our homes..." He gave a longing sigh as his blue eyes darted around the common room. "I'm really going to miss this place." 

Peter laughed. "It'll only be a summer, Remus." 

"All the same..." 

"Oh!" exclaimed Lily as she clapped a hand to the floor. "Let's take a ride across the Hogwarts grounds!" James grinned. 

"I assume you mean broomsticks?" 

Lily nodded. "It'll be easy enough to swipe them from the stockroom. Are you all in?" They nodded simultaneously. "Good then." 

They all piled out into the hallways and crept out onto the grounds. Each, in turn, stole a broomstick from the shed which contained them. 

A light breeze played across the five of them, as if wishing them luck. "Let's go," said Lily shortly. All five of them mounted their brooms and shot into the air, Lily and James leading the way. 

"Nice weather?" shot Lily at James, who smiled at her. The two of them knew that it would be no use waiting for the others, they would only weight them down, so they sped off at top speeds, scaring the occasional flocks of birds. 

"It's the most wonderful feeling, being up here," shouted Lily to James. 

"It is, isn't it? You've got all this power - just flying --" 

"_Through the air as if on silver wings_," Lily quoted herself. 

James nodded to her, acknowledging the experience that the two of them could only share together.   


Her hair tangled and wind beaten, her robes drooping, and her eyes full of tears, she bid a farewell to each of her boys. 

"I'll miss you all, I promise to write!" She fell into Remus's arms, and gave him a short kiss. "Buh bye, Moony." He grinned down at her. 

"I promise to write back, Lily. Come visit some time." Lily smiled, then departed from Remus's grip. The next person who held her in their arms made the first move. Before she had taken a step away, James pulled a hand under her back and pulled her down, her head inches from the ground. Her bags toppled to the ground, along with her owl, who was now screeching loudly. 

"James...!" 

"What?" asked James, still holding onto Lily. "Just wanna good bye, a bit memorably." 

"Don't you worry, Potter. I won't forget you. I'll think of you lots, and keep in mind that I'm still a better flyer than you." 

James shook his head. "Tsk tsk, not true Lily. Meanwhile, you keep this in mind --" He handed her a small package then left towards his parents. Lily gave a last wave to her friends, then raced off towards her own family. 

"Afternoon, sweetums!" cried Lily's mother. Lily blushed deeply, but sat herself into the car. As they drove away from Platforms Nine and Ten, Lily unwrapped the package that James had given her, and as she lifted it out, her mouth opened in amazement. 

In her hands was what might have passed for a muggle snow globe, but instead of snow, a soft blue mist filled the glass globe. Inside was a tiny field, carved solely of stone, and among it were two small people, laughing alongside each other, broomsticks in their hands. Each were oddly familiar. As soon as she noticed the flaming red hair, she knew that the two people inside were herself and James. 

However, that was hardly all. Alongside the glass globe was a beautifully carved base, ornamented with tiny lilies that swayed at the touch of her hand. Lily sighed, admiring the beautiful gift. 

"What on earth was this for?" she wondered. She would shortly find out, but the matter was hardly on her mind as she held the globe close to her chest, close memory of James now in her heart. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Okay, I'm terribly sorry that this one took so long to get up. I haven't been able to get onto the internet for a week now, and before that, I had been procrastinating anyway... FORGIVE ME!

Yes, Remus still gets a key part in my fic, and he will keep that role until the very end. If you have anything against Remus, or you are waiting for him to be blocked out of the story, you might as well give up. He's my favorite char and there's nothing that can be done about that. I'm sorry.... ^^;;

You may also have noticed that I have changed Lily's last name from "Peterson" to "Evans." I was kindly informed that this was her correct name, or at least, it's the maiden name that she goes by along the lines of fanficiton. It also sounds much much much better. Thank yous to all those who corrected me!

Okay, I don't take any credit for the characters except for Anne. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling, though I think that I deserve at least _some_ credit for the storyline.... *glances around at all the evil lawyers* No, I didn't say that, everything goes to her.... *points* Her, not me....

There were a few people who emailed me with comments suggesting that I added more female characters, to drive Lily away from the boys so much, and I agree with them. With only five characters, it gets very boring very quickly. In the next chapter I will introduce Elizabeth and Raye, two other Griffindor girls, and Frank Longbottom will get a line or so. I have serious problems with using more than two or three characters at once, and this is my sad little defense. I promise you that the storyline, plot, and character lists will get more complex, just be patient.

I'm very sorry, to all of you that think this story is moving along slowly, because I KNOW IT IS. Okay, just wanted to get that off of my chest ... ^^ Chapter five is on the way, hold on. Just a little longer....

MORE REVIEWS, PLEASE???

~arch angel


	5. These Happy Second Years

~*Roses of Plenty*~ _~*Roses of Plenty*~_

_ *Chapter Five*_

_These Happy Second Years..._

_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, I take no credit whatsoever for them. Please enjoy the fic..._

_*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*_

Lily groaned as scattered applause filled the small plot of the train station. With a quick glance at her mother, who was nodding her head furiously, she made a small curtsey. 

"Really, mum," said Lily shortly, her face going red. "You don't need to do this, it's not that great... it's just a couple of spells, really, nothing special..." 

Petunia snorted. "For once, the little git is right, there's absolutely nothing marvelous about the magic tricks, she can't even pull a rabbit out of a hat --" Lily smirked at her, now taking the applause heavily, gathering it all in. Petunia had been in a foul mood ever since Lily had bewitched her into a coma-like stage. Lily also had doubts about Petunia's arguments - she was quite sure that she could pull a rabbit out of a hat. 

Mrs. Peterson glared firmly at her elder daughter. "Petunia, dear, mind your sister, she's blossoming into a wonderful young woman." At this speech, Lily grinned widely at Petunia, far away from her mother's keen eye. 

Lily pointed her wand at her bags and muttered a quick, "Accio!" Instantly, her bags flew into her outstretched arms. Under most circumstances, magic outside of Hogwarts would not have been permitted. However, as Lily was nearing the board of the Hogwarts Express, she found that a couple of charms wouldn't hurt her much. Her notion proved true; she hadn't received a single warning from the Ministry. Not that it would have mattered, Lily's parents and relatives had no idea that Lily's was unallowed to perform magic outside of her school. 

Lily gave a quick wave to her family as they all exited the station and drew away in the small and cramped car. She gave herself a small grin, then slipped sideways through the metal barrier that led to Platform 9 ¾ . 

It took her no time at all to make it through, and as she did she heard a familiar voice calling towards her. 

"Oi! Lily, over here!" She turned around, her red pigtails flipping across her nearly bare shoulders. Lily met the eyes of James Potter. 

A vague grin spread across her face. "Hello James! Whatever happened to you over the summer? I only received a couple hundred letters from you over that short stretch of time..!" She put on a mock look of hurt, but couldn't contain herself. With the amount of letters that he had sent her, you would have thought that they had moved away from each other forever, and would never see each other again. Lily allowed herself a laugh as she recalled the familiar tawny owl that had dropped her a new letter every few hours. The only person that had sent her more letters than James was Remus. 

"Where are the others?" asked Lily curiously as she and James walked down to the edge of the platform together. James shrugged. 

"I dunno, we all arrived together, the other three have wandered off looking for someone, can't say who, I don't really know myself --" 

"You can shut up now James." 

" -- okay." 

Lily smiled at him warmly, then sat down among the crowds of people waiting for the train. She turned around sharply as she heard a loud scurrying of feet. Panting - out of breath - came the other three boys, playing what looked like a game of chasey. 

They all came to a sudden halt, and grinned at Lily. "Hello, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" 

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm waiting for the train, Sirius, like everyone else here that hasn't gone completely_ mental_." She gave a small chuckle to him as he flushed beet red. 

"Just had a bit of sugar, see --" 

"Quite plainly, Sirius dear," she finished, then gave him an affectionate pat on the head. "It's good to see you again, in all honesty." 

"You too, Lily." They smiled at each other, trying to suppress the giggles that were edging along their throats. 

Lily turned her face to Remus. "I mean, I wouldn't have had a chance to see the lot of you, _someone_, I won't name names, _forgot_ to invite me over for a stay during the summer -" 

Remus was a slight pink. "Er... sorry about that, Lily..." Lily laughed. 

"S'okay." 

James tutted. "You two are enough to make a guy sick, let's get on the train now, shall we?" He glanced hopefully at the tracks, which were still empty. "Oh... eh..." 

Sirius laughed. He then whispered into James's ear, "It's as I told you before, James, you mind it now, but just you wait until she's yours." James whopped Sirius on the top of the head, being much taller than he was, having grown a few inches over the summer. Lily turned to the pair of them, now struggling to kill the other, and shook her head. 

"And they were your friends _before_ you had to sleep in the same room as them?" Lily asked slowly, laughing silently. Remus nodded his head pathetically. The sound of a train's whistle filled the station. 

Peter loomed over James and Sirius who were now grabbing each other at the scruff of their shirts on the ground, and watched as the steam engine rolled onto the tracks. He gave a quick kick to each of them. "Come on, you two, the train's here..." 

James and Sirius sat up abruptly and jumped to their feet, brushing off the soot that they had accumulated from the stone ground. Lily couldn't help but laugh. 

"The years should be making you two _more_ mature, not less..." She shot a glance full of utmost admiration up at Remus, who had proved himself the most well developed of the four. Remus beamed back at her. It was a crying shame that they wouldn't have ended up like that. 

All five of them boarded the Hogwarts Express and found themselves an empty compartment fairly quickly. Most other compartments were full to bursting with students that had become large groups. Lily gave a sigh of relief in that she wasn't forced into one of those compartments, and she quickly stuffed her bags into the overhead. Then, making herself as comfortable as she cared to, she flopped down onto a soft seat of the compartment. To each of her sides sat James and Remus. 

No sooner had each of them seated themselves, the train started moving, and their conversation broke out, but their compartment door slid open. 

Lily was sure for a second that it would be Anne, but her hopes were dashed immediately as she saw the greasy haired boy that stood in the opening. 

"Good day to you too, Severus," said James coldly. Severus jerked his head irritably towards him, shaking his head, his shoulder length hair melting into his jet black robes which he already wore. 

"Can't say so myself, Potter, not after opening this chamber door..." He gave them all a smirk. Lily rolled her eyes, then gave him a sarcastic smile. 

"You know, Snape, we've all been having a pleasant conversation together, and I'm rightfully flattered that you wanted to join in our little circle of merriment, but I highly doubt that you'd be interested in joining our subject of Quidditch, after all, it must be right embarrassing to talk about something you're so... well, dreadful at... sorry mate. If you'd be so kind, would you mind leaving now? I think I'm quite allergic to slime balls..." She winked at him. "You might want to try a shower." 

Sirius snorted at Lily's improvisation and patted her proudly on the back. Lily beamed, and Severus went a sickly purple. 

" --Well then, if you -- shan't have me -- " He turned on his heel and left, pouting indignantly. As the door closed behind him, each of the boys stoop up and applauded Lily. 

"Brava, Lily!" James smiled at her widely, and he knew at that moment that they'd forever changed Lily from her rightful girlish state to something much more aggressive. He was quite proud of himself.   


As the voice rattled through the train, Lily, James, Remus, Sirius and Peter all scampered out of it and onto the damp grounds. They stood still, waiting for the carriages that would be delivering them to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

It happened so suddenly, and with such a twist that Lily jumped a bit. Approaching the row of students was an array of carriages, all being led without horses. Lily gaped alongside the rest of her friends, for only a second before they were all instructed to enter the carriages, four to a cart. 

"Lily, it's okay if you --" 

Lily pressed a slim finger to James's lips. "It's okay this time, I've got _friends_, you know, go ahead..." She delivered a small wink to James, then trotted off to join Anne and another second year Gryffindor - Elizabeth - leaving James standing with his mouth open wide. 

Sirius laughed out loud and nudged James in the ribs. "Do you seriously expect your little flower to remain yours alone?" James narrowed his eyes dangerously at Sirius, as if daring him to call Lily his 'little flower' again. 

"I _do_ wish that you would ignore your ignorance for just a few minutes, Sirius. I have no attraction to Lily, hard as that is to believe..." 

"Oh, but it is." James almost lodged a punch at Sirius, but he was grinning much too madly to be serious, and the two best friends climbed into the horse less carts, doubled up with laughter.   


"How's the summer been treating you?" asked Elizabeth properly as she smoothed out her sleek, chocolate brown hair. 

Lily crossed her legs and looked out of the carriage's window. "Well, actually, my parents are pleased at my being a witch - being born into a muggle family, of course..." She grinned at Elizabeth and Anne. "My sister has taken it as a personal insult." 

Anne snorted. "Petunia, you mean? The thin horse faced one? With blonde hair?" Anne held up a lock of her own golden hair with disgust at having anything to do with Lily's sister - she had met with her over the summer, and the two of them had become enemies the moment their cold eyes met. 

Lily retained her gaze outside of the window. "Yes, I mean Petunia, I don't have another sister, now, do I?" 

"Well, no..." 

"I _do_ hate it..." started Elizabeth. "That you two keep excluding me from every conversation you begin!" She smiled up at them, making it obvious that she wasn't truly insulted. 

"Sorry, Beth..." Lily was jerked headfirst into Anne's lap as the cart came to a sudden halt. She sat up in her seat and glared angrily out of the window. 

"What's the big idea?!" she yelped indignantly, but she was pulled back quickly by Anne and Elizabeth. 

"Shush, Lily!" they pleaded. "Do you want them to think that you aren't ladylike?" Lily smiled mischievously. 

"But I'm not." 

Anne rolled her eyes, and the three of them shuffled out of the carriage, now at the very front of Hogwarts gates. Lily found herself staring into the stone eyes of a particularly ugly statue of a winged boar. 

There was a loud giggle from behind Lily. "We're home!" shouted the person who had laughed. 

Lily spun around and found herself facing Frank Longbottom, another second year Gryffindor who was quite ambitious, but very nervous and small. 

"Hey, Frank. Nice to see you." 

"Same here," replied Frank shortly, then he skipped off through the doors, his face now quite flushed. Lily shook her head, in silent giggles. 

Lily and her two other friends shoved their way through the crowd of Hogwarts students and made their way through the door. Then - grinning at each other - Anne and Elizabeth left towards the Great Hall while Lily drew back in waiting for the boys. 

Sirius entered the doors first, followed by James and Remus; Peter seemed to have lost himself along the way. Lily gave the three of them a grand wave. 

"Hello there!" She danced up and down, then skipped over to their group, waiting alongside of them for Peter. As luck would have it, he happened to be at the very back of the pile. Lily rolled her eyes. 

"You could've been a bit faster, Peter, we've been waiting here for nearly five minutes." She grinned broadly at him, and he poked his tongue out. 

"Well _excuse_ me --" 

"You're excused." 

Peter pulled a face in Lily's direction. "Nasty girl." He sniggered with a laughing air - of course his true opinion of her was greater than that. "I just don't happen to be in great - eh - physical shape. That's all..." 

James laughed loudly, then tugged upon Peter's arm. "Come on, you, why don't we get into the Great Hall, I'm sure that they're waiting for us in there..." He pulled Peter along, and Sirius, Remus and Lily followed obediently. 

They all found decent seats next to each other, and watched the line of first years standing beside of the wall beginning to approach the Sorting Hat. James jabbed Lily in the arm. "You do remember the Sorting? Scariest thing I ever did in my life..." 

Lily smiled warmly at James; he had had a horrible experience as far as the Sorting went. By the time it was his turn, he had been pale white and shaky, praying with all of his might that he would get into Gryffindor along with the rest of his friends. 

The room was filled suddenly with applause; the hat had just finished it's song. A name was called into the darkness of the room. "Thompson, Charles!" A pale, timid boy approached the hat. Lily closed her eyes tightly, remembering with a bit of sweet air her first experience with the Sorting Hat. In her imagination, she seated herself at the chair... people all around her were whispering excitedly... James, Remus, Sirius and Peter were all cheering her on from the Gryffindor table... Lily slowly reached up to pull the hat over her head and her eyes... 

At once, Lily was plunged into a wave of darkness. Her thoughts all jammed. She shook herself mentally and tore her eyes open. All around her, the candles had been extinguished. Lily's heart stopped. _What was happening_? 

She heard a small yelp next to her; it was Peter. She knew somehow that he had inside information... she leant over to asked him how... he had gone. The next thing she heard was a scream from one of the first years and a clatter of the chair that Charles Thompson had been sitting in. The lights were flicked back on instantly. Lily shielded herself from the candlelight for only a moment before she looked up to the first year line and gasped. 

The first year in line behind Charles was still screaming as loud as her lungs would allow. And in front of her, atop the chair, the hat still grazing his head, was Charles, his eyes open in a surprise, but deathly still... Lily knew what had happened... 

By the rigid form in the chair which had been Charles Thompson... he had been murdered. An outbreak of muffled sobs filled the air and students scattered out of the Great Hall, trying desperately to make their ways back towards their dormitories where they would be safe. A blinding blue light filled the room, and they all stopped in their tracks. 

Each face turned to Dumbledore, the headmaster, and Lily took notice of the solemn expression across his now stony face. "Students, don't panic... please, prefects, lead your houses up to their dormitories... in an orderly fashion, if you wouldn't mind..." 

Prefects jerked their hands and led the others up through the House Common Rooms. Lily strayed to the back of the group with James, who was equally as curious... 

They stayed just long enough to see Dumbledore walk over to the now dead student and take him in his arms, with something remarkably like... _tears_? 

The two of them didn't have an opportunity to double check, as they were dragged back into the group by Sirius and Remus. Peter was still absent. Lily longed to know why, and she was soon given opportunity to do so. As she climbed through the portrait hole to Gryffindor Tower, she was pulled into the boy's dormitory by Remus, who began to whisper nervously to her. 

"Lily, do you know what happened? Did you notice anything odd? Did you... do you know what happened to Peter?" 

Lily paused for a moment as she and Remus stood peering into one anothers eyes. "I... I felt him leave.. he left just after the lights went out, he was gasping..." She looked up to Remus for comfort. "He was scared, he knew what was happening before the rest of us... and I wish I knew why he has so much information..." She shook her head, and Remus put a strong arm around her shoulder. 

"It'll... it'll be all right, Lily... don't know how, but we'll pull through..." He brought his knees to his chest, all color drained from his face. For once, Lily saw the lost little boy in him shining through, making a larger appearance than it ever had prior to this death. Disgustingly, this comforted Lily. It just... made sense that someone else should feel the way that she did. She clutched his hand tightly. 

"I know we will... I know it." She patted his hand once more, then headed out and entered her own dormitory.   


Elizabeth shook her head sadly as she folded up her robes and stuffed them into her drawers. "I still don't believe it -- that's three murders now..." She gazed up at the rest of the girls in the room with a face full of worry. "I suppose that Hogwarts isn't that safe after all..." 

Lily pouted. "Oh foo. That isn't right. Two of them occurred out of school, it was at the Gregory's home, correct?" She pulled out a few more of her various treasures from her bags and topped her bedside cabinet with them. "And the one that - that - just happened right now was only too easy for Voldemort..." The other girls sent curious looks at her. "You know, the school year hasn't started yet, so he had easy access to us... I'm sure that he wouldn't dare attack Hogwarts... not with Dumbledore watching over us..." 

From the corner of the room a girl with curly black locks and midnight blue eyes sighed heavily. "Lily, do you think that Dumbledore really stands a chance against a dark wizard like Voldemort?" 

"Yes, Raye, I do." The tone with which Lily used was startling, and Raye didn't dare strike back with an argument of her own, though it looked as though she was dearly fighting the temptation to do so. 

Lily shrugged her shoulders as though the matter was of her least concern, and pulled out the snow globe out of her bag, setting it in the center of the night stand, then shooting a pleased look at it. 

Anne gasped as she saw the globe with the swirling purple mist, and her eyes grew round and glazed. Her mouth opened with glee, and she raced over to Lily. "Ooh, Lily, what's that? Who's it from?" She was transfixed with the sight of it, and by this time the other girls crowded around them. 

"- Lily - it's gorgeous -" 

"- who would spend that much money on you?" 

"- the flowers are real, they're so beautiful -" 

"- _who would spend that much on a thing like that for a thing like you_?!" 

Lily glared dangerously at Raye, who had begun questioning her about the price of it. Lily's shoulders drooped; she knew that she would have to tell them all the story. "James gave it to me last year right before summer break as a farewell gift." 

Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears. "That's so sweet! I've never heard of something so romantic in my entire life!" Tears were now streaming down her face and matting in her long brown hair. "He must really love you Lily!" 

The others knew immediately that Elizabeth had gone too far. "Did - you say - that James - LOVES ME?!" huffed Lily, her face purple. Elizabeth backed against the wall, but Lily's fun had only begun. She put her arms on each side of Elizabeth, bringing their faces only a foot apart. "You - will never - tell me that - James loves me - in - my - life again, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Lily shook poor Elizabeth until her teeth clattered, and Elizabeth fell to the floor crying. Anne and Raye stood staring at Lily with something like anger, but Lily took no notice. She was as winded as a rhinoceros. She clapped her hands, then crept inside of her bed, now in her pajamas, and tried as hard as she could to fall asleep with the occasional "why would he spend so much?" and "he loves Lily more than she knows!" in her ear.   
  
Z Z Z Z Z 

Anne peered into Lily's sleep-filled emerald eyes. She rolled her own cinnamon ones and bounced gently upon Lily's mattress, trying to wake her softly. After at least twenty bounces, this attempt proved futile, so Anne took it the easy way. She pulled away the soft curls that covered Lily's ear and bellowed as loudly as she could possibly her own wake-up call. 

Lily's eyes opened wide and she sat up suddenly, her chest heaving. She glared furiously at Anne. "Don't do that to me _ever_ _again_!" 

Anne laughed silently. "You never will be a morning person, Lily." Anne shrugged her shoulders and smiled down at her. "C'mon, let's go." 

Lily grabbed her wand quickly from her bedside table and directed it at a pair of robes that were clean, yet scattered wrong side out on the floor. The robes flew though the air, along with a pair of shoes, and as Lily grabbed them she disappeared in a disfigured heap beneath the blankets. When her head emerged, Anne gave a small sigh, then jerked her hand to the doorway. Lily nodded. "Er... right." Once again, she put her wand to good use and directed it at her hair, swirling it back into a french braid. 

"Where'd you learn that one?" 

"I dunno.... can we get moving? I'm hungry..." Lily stormed out of the dormitory, bowling Anne over, leaving her lying flat upon her bottom. Anne cursed silently at Lily, then heaved herself to her feet, racing after her.   


Lily heaped large portions of eggs onto her plate, occasionally bringing other foods from different house tables, and arranging a rather large breakfast in front of her. It all looked delicious, but as James said, "You'll never be able to eat it all unless you throw half of it back up..." 

The five Griffindors compared their schedules, making sure that they had copied it all down correctly, when Anne swept into the Great Hall and sat herself next to Remus. 

"Having fun, are we?" 

A bit unwisely, Lily nodded. "Uh - huh. Where've you been?" 

Anne gave Lily a small kick in the leg. "I've been trying to get myself down here with the leg that you nearly broke once you trampled upon it leaving the dormitory!" Peter and Remus tried to look sorry, but James and Sirius laughed out loud. 

"Lily, how can we express how completely stupid you are?" Sirius laughed out, with sniggers from James. 

"Terribly sorry, Anne," began James. "It's not you - it's Lily. She's got an awfully strong tendency to hurt people --" Lily hit him atop the head violently, and James cleared his throat, clarifying his statement. Lily quickly worked out what James had stated, went scarlet, and began to busy herself with massaging James's head gently. 

Anne snorted, but added piles of food to her plate as well as Lily had done, deciding to eat rather than talk to the others, all who seemed to have nothing pleasant to say. Or - nothing pleasant about either one of the girls. 

Typical morning at Hogwarts.   


Lily prodded Sirius in the side, and pointed at her cauldron, in which a potion was frothing madly. "Sirius, I need a bit of help here.... I'm not very strong at Potions..." 

Sirius sighed, then moved his desk closer to hers, keeping out of view from the Potions Master, though it wasn't very hard; the teacher had obviously accepted the job reluctantly, as he paid the least bit of attention to his classes. "What do you need?" he whispered into her ear. 

Lily poked her wand at her potion. "Is it supposed to be purple like that?" Large bubbles were swelling from the solution, and a disgusting odor was being emitted. Despite this, Sirius began to laugh. 

"Oh my god, Lily, for someone who's brilliant at Charms, you certainly suck at Potions..." 

" -- _is it supposed to be purple_?" Lily hissed once more. 

"No," said Sirius briefly, eyeing her potion carefully, as if afraid of it, or what it would do. "It's _supposed_ to be a bright green, but yours is far from that.... what on earth did you do?" 

Lily's lower lip began to tremble as she prodded through her remaining potion ingredients. "I don't know -- I did exactly what he told me to do -- I added all the right things, I think --" Sirius rolled his eyes. 

"You think? What's that supposed to mean? What did you put in your potion, Lily?" 

Lily smiled sheepishly at Sirius. "Eh . . . let's see . . . there were the first two frog intestines, one bat spleen, and a crocodile heart . . . wait - no - I added two of those . . ." 

"Oh my god, Lily . . ." 

" . . . wait, hold on a sec, there were three crocodile hearts . . ." 

Sirius grabbed Lily on the shoulders to support himself and keep from falling onto the floor with laughter. "Lily . . . you - are - so - stupid. There were two frog intestines, one rat spleen, diced caterpillars, dried lacewings, and absolutely no where were there supposed to be any crocodile hearts . . . I don't know where you got that one from." 

Lily grinned once more, though a bit more pink, and eyed her cauldron again, looking disgusted at the solution which was bubbling inside of it. "I guess I'm just not cut out for this..." 

Sirius groaned and moved his desk back to it's original position. "You can say that again." 

The bell was welcomed wholeheartedly. 

Lily gathered her supplies in her arms, then tipped them into her bag, throwing it over her shoulders, then beckoning the others to join her. Sirius was the first to race over to her. 

"Lily, you really bombed that potion, I'd be surprised if you passed potions this year, I mean _really_ surprised... you need serious help." 

Lily smiled cynically at him. "It's supportive friends like you, Sirius, that really help me get through the day." 

Sirius nodded, an absentminded smile across his face. "I know, I know, you flatter me. But really..." His eyes flashed at her. "What _would_ you do without me?" 

Lily threw her bag over her shoulder, then muttered darkly, "Oh, I don't know, perhaps lift the burden of you off of my chest." 

James gave a sarcastic laugh, then pushed the other four along. "C'mon, all of you, we're going to be late for Transfiguration." 

Remus grinned at James. "Ah well, at least you're passionate about _one_ subject, if not the rest..." 

James poked his tongue out. "At least I'm good at something." 

Remus's eyes flashed at James. "Might I remind you that I've scored equally to you on every subject test aside from Transfiguration, and that I currently maintain a clean record?" James's face dropped considerably. 

"Well - y'know - there's a reason for all that, I mean --" 

Lily giggled then prodded James in the side. "Come on, you, we can settle this all later..." She grinned at James. "Personally, I'd prefer not to miss Transfiguration either." Then, Lily pulling the back of James's robes, struggling to come between the fist fight against James and Remus, the five of the Griffindors walked through the corridors to Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class.   


Lily rolled her eyes lazily as she pointed her wand at the round silver upon her desk, only managing to transform it partially into the miniature thimble which she was supposed to, not bothering to fix her mistakes. Professor McGonagall sent her a stern look, but Lily couldn't care less. Much more heavy upon her mind than McGonagall's shaken head or James triumphant laughs mingled within piles of thimbles were thoughts of the Quidditch team. Members would be chosen shortly, and Lily had prayed against her wildest chances that she would be chosen. She had done all that she could to prepare, but . . . 

"Hey, Lily, check it out!" James grinned beaming at Lily, thrusting two handfuls of silver thimbles under her nose. "Am I good or what?" 

Lily shoved him away from her, her eyes narrowed. "Really, James, have you nothing better to worry about? To do?" 

James shook his head. "Sorry, no." 

Lily gave him another push, smiling slightly. "Well, do you reckon it'd hurt to go away and bother someone else anyway?"' 

James crossed his arms, then seated himself next to Lily. "If that's the way you're going to be -- then no." Lily rolled her eyes, then kicked James swiftly, plunging him headfirst from her seat to the floor.   


Elizabeth scrambled quickly from the head of the stairs to the girl's dormitory to the common room, where Lily, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were already residing. "Oh, look!" she cried gleefully. "It's Arthur and Molly! Again!" Her face flashed at Lily. "Just saw them coming inside from the window, they're going to get such a telling off!" 

Lily glared at Elizabeth with disbelief. "Elizabeth, it's four in the morning, who are you to bother me?" 

Elizabeth turned a skeptical eye on Lily. "Doesn't seem to me that you're bothered, you and the rest of them are down here, out of bed . . ." 

Lily tipped over at least a dozen books to the ground. "Studying." She shook Sirius awake quickly, defending her claim. "We've been up studying for term exams, but we've - eh - fallen asleep." She grinned sheepishly at Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Well, you're up now, aren't you? Do you want to see them or not?" Lily jumped up, knocking the other boys in the heads, waking them up as well. 

"Are you mad? A chance to see the most talked about couple in Hogwarts in action? Well, y'know, for the fifth time . . . but _still_, it's something to see them, isn't it?" 

Elizabeth jumped up in response, nodding excitedly. "All right then, grab them, and let's go!" Elizabeth took Peter's hand, as well as Remus's, and flew down the portrait hole, the Fat Lady still asleep. Lily turned to Sirius and James, who had fallen back asleep, snoring loudly. A quick blow to the head fixed that easily. 

"James, Sirius, come on now, I'd rather not touch you, so would you mind coming with me cooperatively?" She flung herself upon the pair of them, trying desperately to get them up, despite their clinging to the chairs. "Honestly..." She grabbed them, the Invisibility Cloak in her arms, then tore down the portrait hole after Elizabeth. 

"Where are they?" whispered Lily to Elizabeth, now just beyond the corridor to Gryffindor Tower. Elizabeth shook her head, then mouthed, '_Just watch, they're coming_ . . .' 

It was true, as two silhouettes came into view quickly, hand in hand, or rather, the girl in the arms of the other. Lily took one look, and realized that she shouldn't have been there, invisible to the eyes of the couple. It was a sort of situation that she had only heard of. 

A tall red haired boy stopped suddenly and let down Molly, a short girl with a rosy complexion, full brown hair, and bright round eyes. Arthur stooped down - as Molly was about a head shorter than him - and drew her into a passionate kiss. At identical times, Lily and James drew away, turning their heads, moaning in disgust. 

"Can you _believe_ them?!" shrieked Lily and Elizabeth. Elizabeth glanced at Lily. 

"Oh, I know, they're so romantic!" 

Lily gagged. "No, moron, I was more along the lines of how completely _disgusting_ those two are. I mean -- oh -- crap, look at that! God, Arthur, there are children watching!" Elizabeth fell to her knees in silent laughter. 

James took hold of Lily, his eyes flashing, then said with utmost disgust, "You're not the only one who finds this completely - not - amusing -- disgusting -- oh, you're right, she's gonna suck that thing down!" His knees buckled. "I'm going to be sick, do you think you can cover for me while I sneak off to the toilets?" Lily giggled, then pulled James out of the cloak. 

"Come with me, you can't possibly any more horrified than I am right now . . ." Lily and James dashed off into the night, their faces green, trailing the occasional snigger at Arthur and Molly, still deeply engaged with each other.   


Lily snorted as James disappeared once again into the peeled stall. "My god, you weren't joking when you told me that you were sick..." 

James emerged from the stall, his face white and sweaty. "Yeah, so what?" Lily shrugged. 

"I don't hold it against you or anything, just..." She gave him a sly smile. "I had no idea you were so sensitive to romance. I'll have to remember that the next time I ever get the urge to kiss you." 

James pulled a face at Lily. "You're so unbelievably hilarious, Lily." He sat down against the wall. "Just - don't make me laugh, all right? I might spew again, all over you, mind." 

Lily drew away from him, to a bemused expression and a laugh from James, in which he proved true to his word. Lily dashed over to the sink, tears in her eyes, sobbing hysterically and sending curses at James over her stained shoulder. 

Z Z Z Z Z 

Lily awoke the next dreary morning in a foul mood, her body tense and her eyes glazed. Barely awake, she toppled out of her four poster, absentmindedly pulling on her robes, jamming her hat onto her matted and tangled hair, and trudging down the dormitory without shoes and a bag thrown sloppily over her back. 

Peter rose an eyebrow at the mess which was Lily as she collapsed into an armchair next to him. "Lily -- are you sure that you're okay? You don't look very ... coordinated." 

"Shut up Peter," snarled Lily. "I'm fine. Absolutely fine." She sank miserably into her chair, thoughts of the Quidditch teams and of James's romantic disorders fresh in her mind. 

Remus moved with concern next to Lily. "Eh - Lily, don't mean to be rude, but you _do realize_ that you've got no shoes on, your hair's a mess, and that school bag is completely unnecessary, it's the weekend." He took cover under an arm, bracing himself for the blow that Lily was sure to lodge at him, but it never came. Instead, Lily dissolved into tears. 

Clutching at her hair, Lily latched herself onto Remus. Remus tried hard to contain himself from shoving her into the floor, and asked in a falsely concerned voice, "Lily, come on, what's wrong?" 

Lily looked up at Remus, biting her lip, breaking the skin, blood trickling down her chin. "It's all - just - too much. So much stress, I can't take it any more!" She leapt off of Remus and raced down through the portrait hole. "I'll see you all later, but I've simply got to check the Quidditch listings, buh bye." 

Before the portrait had had time to latch closed, James had gone to retracing Lily's steps. "Oi! Quidditch listings! Sorry boys, I've got to go see if I've made the team! See you!" 

Sirius, Remus and Peter all sat staring openmouthed, wide eyed, at the portrait hole, their hands all up, as if to say something, but as they heard the portrait shut closed, they shrugged it off and returned to staring blankly out of the window, their minds empty.   


James tugged gently on Lily's robes, almost knocking her over in the speed that she was dashing through the hallways. She fell backwards onto James, and they went spiraling downwards. 

Lily turned around to face James, and gave an appreciative laugh. "Oh, why hello. What brings you to these parts?" 

James brought himself to his feet, and brushed off the dust from the stone floor. "Same reason as you." He shot her a grin. "Quidditch listings." 

Lily smiled, then grabbed his arm to pull herself up. "Well then, I reckon we should be off." James nodded, and the pair of them set off to the Great Hall, where breakfast had just begun. 

"So," began James. "Which position are you going for? Hopefully not the same as mine, don't want to be jeopardizing your chances." 

Lily let out a sarcastic laugh. "Ha ha." She prodded him in the chest. "You're afraid that I might beat you out in the race." Lily grinned mischievously. "I've signed up for position of seeker, seeing as how that was one of only two choices." 

James let out a sigh of relief. "And so what if I _was_ afraid?" He poked her back. "But it really doesn't matter anyway, because I've tried out for chaser. So _there_." He gave a haughty laugh, and his eyes flashed with the mischief of Lily's grin. "The list's just up ahead, you sure that you want to see it?" 

Lily smiled. "Of course I am, it must be very nice to gave your name in fancy gold letters against a list of the most talented Quidditch players in the whole school, know what I mean?" With her statement, she dashed forward, and shot a glance at the list. She reached out to touch the list, and her face dropped. 

James turned over, and noticed Lily's expression. He would never let her know it, but he knew as soon as he had seen the let down expression upon her face what ailed her, and he couldn't stand to see her so hurt. He made his way towards her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Lily, listen, I'm so sorry, now I'll feel guilty if I've gotten selected ..." He glanced at the list, and noticed his name under those of the school chasers. However, under the title of "seeker" was -- 

"Lily!" shouted James. "You - you're seeker! I - can't believe - that - you were - you made it Lily!" 

Lily turned to face him, her eyes glinting, a smile wide across her glowing face. "I know!" She flung her arms around him, her eyes flooded with tears. "You're so gullible, James!" She wrapped herself up in his arms, her heart lighter than it had been in weeks. "I can't believe it -- I'm really going to be seeker for Gryffindor!" 

James spun her around, equally as happy as she was. "Don't kid yourself, Lily Evans! _We're _going to be out there as the Gryffindor Quidditch team_ together_. Can you imagine?" 

Lily jumped out of James's arms, still grinning at him. "James, you're turning awfully sentimental, it's not like you at all." 

James poked his tongue out at her. "Nor is it anything like you, Lily." He laughed, then pulled her back through the tapestries and hidden panels to Gryffindor Tower. "Come on, we've got plenty of joy to spread."   


Sirius grabbed a handful of cream puffs, a vague grin upon his face, content as he could possibly been. "Feeling generous, were we?" 

Lily sat down next to him, and pulled away a few pastries from him, and stuffing her face with them. "Well - da 'ouse elves 'ere 'eeling 'eally nice 'owards us," she replied thickly, swallowing the creams. "And food makes quite an addition to the beautiful celebration party for all of us Gryffindors." She shot a grin at Sirius and the other Gryffindor Quidditch team players. 

Sirius shook his head. "You've been dying for a chance like this for an excuse to bring up armloads of food into the tower. Pig." 

Lily rolled her eyes, still smiling. "You've got food all over your face, Sirius dear." He immediately went red and ducked down out of sight. Remus took this opportunity to move over next to Lily. 

"Well, really, if you and Sirius would've shut up earlier, I would've done it before -- but I'd really like to congratulate you on making it into the Quidditch team... I mean, coming from a Muggle family and all..." He gave her a quick but heartfelt smile, and grabbed a handful of crackers. 

Lily blushed a bit, and crossed her legs upon the chair. "It just comes naturally, don't know what else to say -- but thanks." She grinned up at him, her eyes glimmering. Stuffing her pockets with as much food as she possibly could, she nudged him in the shoulder. "Wanna go up into the dormitory? The noise is killing me..." Remus nodded, and crept over towards the boy's stairway, dragging James, Sirius and Peter behind him. Lily laughed at the pained expressions on the others' faces, then skipped up the dormitory stairs behind Remus. 

Lily shut the door closed behind her, and seated herself upon the edge of Remus's four poster. "So, do I win the bet?" She glanced over at Sirius, who only stared blankly back. 

"What bet?" He truly looked it, though Lily couldn't believe that he had forgotten after all of his tedious taunts. 

"Our Quidditch bet." She walked over towards him. "You bet that I wouldn't make the Quidditch team, so... you owe me. Pay up." 

Sirius shoved her away. "I don't owe you anything. I bet you against James, and he made it, didn't he?" 

Lily rolled her eyes. "He qualified as chaser. So did two others. _I,_ on the other hand, remain the only seeker upon the Quidditch team." Sirius chortled. 

"Give it up Lily." He glanced slyly at her. "James is just as good as you, and I refuse to pay you for anything." 

Lily's eyes sparked, and her face dropped a notch. "You mean that, Sirius Black? You really won't give me anything? Not even though I've qualified as Gryffindor seeker?" Sirius shook his head. Lily approached him slowly, and drew her robes above her shoulders. 

"Very well, Sirius, have it your way --" Lily drew back her hand a lodged a punch at him, missing his face by inches. Sirius stood up, his face livid with bewilderment. 

"Lily, what the -- ?" 

Lily gritted her teeth. "Honestly, Sirius ... I've been working at this for over one year, and now... you break the promise that you made to me that year ago! I can't believe you!" Sirius just stood, his hands balled. 

"Lily, you're very lucky that you're a girl, because if you weren't, I think I'd have to kill you... Give this all up, get off it! You're more headstrong than I thought -- no, that's not a compliment--" he added as Lily's face lifted. 

Lily stamped her foot, nearly crushing James's, and shook her head wildly. "Fine, you win. I just --" She gave him another glare, then stormed out of the room. Sirius watched her go, looking disgusted. 

He turned to Remus, his mouth still open. "What the hell do you see in that girl? She's mad!" Remus looked on, his face blank, and nodded slowly. 

"Sometimes... you just have to overlook that." He gave a pitying glance at Sirius and sighed.   


Anne shrugged. "Yeah, well, that's just Sirius..." She turned away from Lily and sat down in her own four poster. Lily glared at her. 

"Some friend you are." 

Raye gave a small laugh. "Really, Lily, I think Sirius is right... technically, you and James are tied, meaning that if _you_ won the bet, so did Sirius." She let out a sigh of longing. "I wouldn't argue with him, anyway..." 

Lily snorted. "You only say that because you fancy him, Raye. Can't see why he would see anything in you, even if you do stick up for him --" Lily's words were interrupted as a shoe flew across the room and hit her square in the face. She glared at Raye, her face red. "Oh, thanks, I needed that." 

Raye had her face hidden within her hands. "Yes - well - at least I've got someone picked out for the dance next month..." 

Lily's face cleared of all expression. "Wh - what dance? Next month, you mean? I - I've never heard of the dance, tell me!" 

Elizabeth laughed. "My god, Lily, you certainly are slow. They've made the announcement a few times in Transfiguration classes, I had no idea that you didn't know, poor thing --" Her eyes flashed. "I take it that you'll be going with Remus?" Lily tried to hide a giggle. 

"Well - I suppose if he wants to --" 

Anne grinned. "What about James?" 

"What about him?" 

"I thought you two had a thing going on?" 

"No, what would give you such a ridiculous idea?" 

"You two have been dropping each other hints all year, ever since he got you the little gift." 

"We have not!" 

"Have too!" 

"Have not!" 

"Have too!" 

Raye's clarification of her throat ended the argument, leaving both Lily and Anne quite flustered. "Lily, don't mind Anne, she doesn't _honestly_ think that you and James stand a chance of making it together." A wicked expression occupied her face. "She just wants Remus to take her." 

Anne's face inflated, and she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, at last sputtering out incomplete sentences. "Well, I certainly -- don't deny that I -- of course I don't think -- absurd, completely absurd -- never would I --" 

Lily laughed. "Aw, c'mon Annie, you've got a thing for my Remus, have you? What do you think I shoulder do with you? Destroy you?" 

Anne's cheeks flushed, raising another shade of red. "Lily, you have to admit, he is only the most sweet Gryffindor in the second year, every girl within a two year range of you is in deep envy, just you wait until I've got the chance to prove it." Lily beamed. 

"Poor Anne... so, who're you going to ask?" 

Anne looked outraged. "Me? Ask someone? Right. I'll wait for them to come to me -- Lily, you really have no class, pathetic girl..." Lily poked her tongue out at Anne. 

"So, let's add this up... I'm going with Remus, Raye is going with Sirius," Raye broke into a mad fit of giggles at this comment, "Elizabeth will go with James... and Anne is left with Peter. Sorry Anne." 

Anne pulled a face. "Peter? I can do better, Lily. I think I'll go for that Ravenclaw, Branston, he's Ravenclaw chaser, and extremely handsome..." Both she and Elizabeth hid their faces in their knees, giggling sharply. Lily rolled her eyes. 

She stood up and waved as she exited the girl's dormitory to the common room. "Buh-bye, I'm off to find Remus." She closed the door tightly, then skipped down. 

Anne sighed and rolled over onto her side and swore. "God, that girl's lucky."   


Tears flooded Lily's eyes. "Wha - what d'you mean, 'no?'" She grabbed Remus's hands and shook them wildly. Tears spilled onto Remus's pale skin, and he flinched to see her in so much pain. 

He reached below her and cradled her within his arms, then whispered into her ear, "Lily, I promise, I would go with you, but --" He gave her a serious look, then another at the night sky, and suddenly she understood.... 

"Moony... the full moon..." Lily whispered into the front of his robes. Remus nodded and gave her a soothing pat upon the head. 

"I swear it to you that I would never hurt you like that, but under these circumstances you must understand --" 

Lily was beaming. "Well - then - I suppose - I shouldn't have doubted you - thank you Remus." She smiled at him warmly, then stood on the balls of her feet to kiss him. He drew back, looking quite pink - and almost guilty, as she raced back upstairs to the girl's dormitory, screaming into the ajar door, "Change of plans, girls!" 

Z Z Z Z Z 

Raye threw the sheets and blankets to the side of her four poster as soon as her eyelids fluttered open, recalling the events of last night. She sat up abruptly, startling the jet black cat which lay upon it. "Ah, sorry boy..." she muttered as she strode over to Lily's bedside, shaking her awake. 

Lily instinctively shot a hand out, hitting Raye in the face. Raye fell back, wincing in pain. Lily wiped the sleep quickly out of her eyes, then took notice of Raye, lying beside of her four poster, sprawled across the wooden floor. "Oh, sorry Raye," she apologized groggily. "Didn't mean to hit you, having a weird dream, s'all..." She grinned cheekily at her friend, she fumbling to get up. 

Raye forced a smile as she propped herself up upon her elbows, faking the desire to lie down upon the cold, bare floor. "Ah, well, might as well get the others up...." However, there was no need - Raye's startled screams had awoken the entire dormitory. 

"So tell me..." began Lily, curiously staring at Raye. "What do you want from me?" Raye grinned broadly, then sat up with great effort. 

"Eh, well, I was wondering if you would promise not to ask Sirius, you know, now that you can't go to the dance with Remus..." Raye truly looked imploring as she asked the question from her innermost soul. Lily burst out laughing. 

"Raye, you really, _really_, have no life. I promise that I won't ask Sirius." She rolled her eyes. "Oh - wait - I wouldn't have asked him in the_ first_ place, now would I?" She giggled and poked Raye in the ribs. "I'll wait 'till I get an invite." 

Raye let out a sigh of relief, then grinned. "You know you want him, Lily." Lily pulled a face at her, and flung a pillow at her head. Raye widened her eyes towards Lily, then flung back another three pillows. 

"You'll pay for that one, Evans!" Across the room went pillows, knocking books, figurines, and other items that adorned the tops of shelves and cabinets off to the floor. The occasional glass object would fall to the floor, shattering and flying across the dormitory, sending ear splitting howls of pain all the way to the common room. Elizabeth gave an urgent glance at Anne, who nodded, and the two of them crept down to the common room in a great hurry, each looking disturbed and - to be honest - terribly frightened.   


Raye and Lily appeared down in the common room about half of an hour later, their hair wildly ratted, and smiles across their bruised faces. 

Anne grinned. "So, you two have reached an agreement, have you?" 

Lily dusted her hands against her robes. "I suppose so. So..." she grinned sideways at Raye. "Go ahead, ask him." 

Raye drew away. "Yeah, right! He'll ask me, I flatly refuse to give him the invite." She narrowed her eyes at Lily. Lily simply shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. 

"I'll get him." 

"_Thank _you." Raye smiled, and Lily giggled, departing to the base of the boy's staircase, and running upwards, bolting through the door. However, she froze as she caught a drift of the conversation that rang through her ears. 

James voice rang out first. "So, you're cheating?" 

Glancing into the room, she saw Remus shrug. "No, I'm not... I wouldn't do that to Lily. But I won't deny that I am lying to her --" 

Sirius laughed. "The full moon isn't for another two weeks after the dance, you're flat out missing the dance without denying her invitation." 

Some part of Lily's mind blanked. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. Her knees began to tremble heavily, and she held onto the door to support herself from collapse. Unfortunately on Lily's behalf, her weight caused the door to swing directly open, revealing herself to the four boys, now staring wide-eyed at her. 

Peter was the first to speak. "You - you didn't - you haven't - heard?" Lily tried to force what she hoped was a mildly confused expression onto her face. 

"I - I have no idea what you're talking about, Peter... I haven't heard anything... Why?" Peter shook his head nervously, eyeing Remus. 

"No reason." 

Lily turned to Remus. He appeared to be petrified and unable to move or speak. All of the color had drained from his face. Noticing this, James asked quickly, "What did you want?" 

Lily pointed to Sirius. "Eh - Raye wanted me - to ask you - to ask Raye to the dance - if it wouldn't be that much of a problem..." 

Sirius grinned. "Well, I'm off... See you!" He winked at the others, then strode through the door. Remus raised his hand. 

"I think I'll go too..." 

Peter glanced around, rolling his eyes. "Well, for god's sake, if you're all leaving, I'm coming with you." The three of them exited, leaving Lily alone with James. Instantly, Lily threw herself into the nearest four poster and fell into the tangle of blankets, sobbing heavily. 

"I take it you heard then?" asked James tentatively. Lily rose her head, her red hair sticking to her tear stained face, her emerald eyes peering into James's magnificent brown ones. Slowly, she nodded. 

"Lily..." James immediately made movement towards the bed that Lily lay upon, and put a hand under her face. "Please, please... it doesn't mean... it's not as if..." Lily dissolved once again into tears, and James shuddered, running his hand down Lily's face, trying to ease her pain. 

Then, without warning, and of her own free will, Lily crept onto James's lap, almost capturing the breath from his throat, his eyes widening beneath his glasses. Lily wrapped her arms around his neck in a longing air, and whispered into the front of his robes, "James, I can't believe it... what motive does he have? Why -- ?" 

James slid his hands down her back and smiled at her comfortingly. "Lily... listen, he didn't mean to hurt you... it's nothing like that. He loves you - he's just a bit uncomfortable. But," he glanced into her eyes, as he put his free hand under her chin and lifted her face up to meet his. "I want you to know, that no matter what happens, _I'll_ always be there for you, to be true until the end... to love you..." 

Lily's heart began to pound in her ears. "What? You - you mean?" 

James laughed. "C'mon Lily, I'm not a monster." He gave another chortle, and brightened as she grinned back at him. "I think I'll leave you to Remus. Go on now, get out of here, I want you to find out as much as you can about the predicament between Raye and Sirius." He gave her a push off of the bed, and shoved her down the boy's staircase. 

Lily began to race down the stairs, on a happier note than she had been all day, as James called out to her, "See you at lunch, then!" 

Lily nodded, smiled, and clutched her heart, grinning all the way to the common room. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Did that take a long time to get up or what? ^^ lol. I'm terribly sorry that it's taken me so long to get this up, it really isn't that much... It's a few pages longer than my previous chapters, but it's not significantly longer. It'll still only take you about ten minutes to read. You do have that much time, don't ya?

BTW - Remus is NOT evil, and I am not trying to make him seem so. Eventually I WILL have to destroy the relationship between them both ::sob:: but I will wait until their fourth/fifth year or so. I just can't stand to break apart my two favorite characters. Which brings me to the next sad and dissapointing paragraph of my lil end note.

Okee... I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR ANY CHARACTERS - excluding Raye, Anne, and Elizabeth. They're mine. ::hugs them all tight:: I luff them vezzy vezzy much, please love them with me, and make me feel good about my characters. Now I have to add in Mundungus. He'll be easy... and Arabella. Is that really Mrs. Figg? I've heard a lot of rumors, but I don't want to add her until I am ABSOLUTELY positive of who she is.

However, I do take credit for my plot. Yes, I do realize that much of it is based upon J.K. Rowling's hints, but, c'mon, there is NO HINT of Remus/Lily. I mean, honestly, Remus is supposed to be closer to James than Lily. But you all can just pretend for me, can't you? Once again, I'm straying off of the subject. Just whack me a fair few times. All right - ::ahem:: - all credit goes to J.K.Rowling. LONG LIVE HP!

Now please, don't send me any more comments suggesting that I add more girls, because I did. And personally, I like them all. They're so cute (and good looking). I'm not gay, don't send me any accusations. ^^;; However, I understand that there are stil characters that I magically have to add into my plot. Don't worry, I'm making this all up as I go along, I'll be able to easily fit them in. Don't complain. Arthur and Molly are on their seventh year, I'm getting rid of them. The only reason : In their time they had a dif gamekeeper than I have in my story. Those two little facts don't agree with each other. So, basically, ORE was the gamekeeper at Hogwarts until Molly's seventh year, when Hagrid was at long last recruited. I must make my story click.

But I have two little thank-you's to make. One - CARE. YOU ARE THE GREATEST. THANK YOU FOR REMAINING FAITHFUL TO MY FIC. LOVE YA! ^~ Second - GRACEY. YOU ARE READING MY FICS, EVEN IF THEY ARE WEIRD (your reviews ARE just as weird as mine, so don't feed me any more of your crap about my freaky reviews. mine are perfectly fine). hehe.

More is soon (well, not really soon) to come. Thanks for reading, please review. All of my thanks to you.

~arch angel 


	6. Dancing the Night Away

~*Roses of Plenty*~ _~*Roses of Plenty*~___

_ *Chapter Six*___

_Dancing the Night Away...___

_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, I take no credit whatsoever for them. Please enjoy the fic..._

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* 

A small group of girls stepped gingerly down a twisting marble staircase, each wearing strained smiles. A redheaded one rolled her eyes, glaring at the other three. 

"Really, you mustn't worry about me, it's all okay..." She muttered these words with a steady voice, but a blonde girl beside of her instantly broke into tears. 

"Oh, Lily, it's not... I'm so sorry that this had to happen to you and Remus... you were so perfect for each other... I'd give anything for you to stay with him... this is just so - so heart wrenching. I'm so sorry...!" 

The redhead felt her face grow warm with humiliation and impatience. "Anne, please, we're not broken - not yet, at least. Please, get *over* yourself." 

Anne nodded, wiping her eyes gently, nodding her head without assurance. Lily gave a menacing stare at Anne, then backed away from her, embarking into silent conversation with Elizabeth. Anne shrugged, still teary eyed, and pushed open the doors to the Great Hall. 

The group of Gryffindor girls sat themselves around their house table, isolated from the rest of the Gryffindors. Then, after many glances from one to the other, and across the table to the boys, Lily shook her head miserably and stood up, pounding her fists onto the table. 

"I give up, all of you, stop crying, I'm going over there, right now." Anne broke into another fit of tears, falling onto Elizabeth's arm loudly. Lily gave a noise something like a snarl, then walked over to the boys side of the table, slowly but surely. Then, significantly, she cleared her throat, earning stares from all of the group but Remus. 

She grinned. "I'm here for you, Remus." Slowly, he glanced up at her, his face still pale. An odd shiver passed over his face, and he stood up slowly. Very stiffly, he nodded his head. 

"Lily... I'm - I'm so - so sorry..." Remus tried, but failed, to look Lily in the eyes. "I just... I'm not really a social person... it has nothing to do with you..." 

Lily put her head to one side, trying to understand with a steady face, though her insides were squirming wildly. She attempted a comforting expression. "Well, I -" 

"Don't speak," interrupted Remus. He took her hands in his own and fully took a glance into her eyes. "You know that I never meant to hurt you, Lily, I'm just afraid of the dance ... eh ... thing..." 

Lily laughed, truly for the first time in hours. Something in his face melted away the bitter feeling in her heart. "I do believe you, Remus... I really do, this time." 

Remus let out a sigh, and a smile wide with relief. "Tell me what I can do to make it up to you... anything... anything at all..." 

Lily put her finger on her lips, pondering the request. "Well..." At once, she clapped her hands together. "If you promise to go to the dance with me, no matter how scared you are of the damned thing." 

Remus went red and laughed. "If that's what you want," he gave her a stare that was filed with a joking sort of resent. "Then I'll do it." Lily grinned, squealing with excitement. 

"Thank you Moony." 

"You're welcome Lily." 

Sirius whispered something into James's ear that sent them both to the ground, sprawled out in noisy laughter, but Lily and Remus took no notice. They had survived yet another hardship of romance... but one more might have been just enough to push them both over the edge, plunging headfirst into a world filled of darkness and cruelty... which, of course, we *all* know would occur... 

* * * * * 

"So, we're done?" Lily gave her broom a sharp lift, and jetted off towards the other side of the field, where Quidditch captain Thomas Edmark was perched, screaming out orders. 

Thomas glanced at her as she sped up to meet him by his side. "Oh, yeah, Lily, dismount... practice is over..." Lily narrowed her eyes. 

"Perhaps you've just lost track of time, or all reason, but we've been up here for a mere thirty minutes, and - well, to be frank, we're not really accomplishing anything at all." 

"Good and well, but I have some business to attend to, so we're just going to have to reschedule, aren't we, Evans?" She poked her tongue out at him, and he gave her a laugh, but his attention was quickly drawn from Lily to another girl with long black hair below the stadium, waiting at the doors. 

Lily sighed to herself. "I believe we've found our cause..." She slid her broom a half inch below her fingers, and let it fall gently to the ground, allowing herself an easy dismount. She was quickly trampled by James as he came falling to the ground with a loud crash. 

"Great practice, eh?" His stare was somewhat glazed, and his words were spoken louder than necessary. 

A giggled escaped from Lily's throat. "How many times *were* you hit with the Bludgers?" She stepped into the doorway of the showers, pulling off her hat and shoes. 

James looked down, a semi conscious, confused look on what was left of his non bruised body. "I dunno... I fell off my broom a good bit, though... does that count?" 

"It'll suffice, James..." She grinned, then stalked into a shower stall and pulled the curtains behind her, hanging her Quidditch robes up across the wall. James just stood there, glancing blankly at his team, then fell over, crashing into Lily's shower, and earning himself another bruise.   


The moon was up, and the sky was a deep purple when James at last woke up, and found himself staring into Lily's eyes. "Lily - what the - where the bloody -?" 

Lily grinned. "You kind of lost consciousness a few hours ago.. You have no idea how many times I had to hit you before you woke back up..." She gave him a wink and tossed him his school robes. "You might want to change, you'll look like more of an idiot than you already are parading around the castle in your Quidditch robes." 

A smile spread across James's face. "Thanks, Lily." He glanced down at himself, noting a large bruise which trailed from his waist to his ankle. "Y'know what, I'm gonna take that back." 

"You going to change or what?" Lily glanced curiously at him. 

James looked taken aback. "Er, no, not with you standing there." 

"You're right," Lily remarked. "You have all the right to expect privacy form the very girl whose shower you tripped yourself into." 

"What can I say..." James lifted a hand and slicked back his untidy hair. "You're almost as attractive as I am." 

Lily tried to hide a slight grin as she rolled her eyes, kicked James in the shins, and turned her back to him, making her entrance into the halls of Hogwarts school.   


"So, really, how late is it again?" James gave a curious look towards Lily, as she dove her hands into her pockets in search of a watch. At last she pulled out a small pocket watch, covered in balls of lint a scraps of paper, a look of triumph on her face. 

She dusted off the tiny face, and handed it to James. "There. Figure it out." 

James smirked. "Thank you *so* much." He screwed up his eyes and glanced down at the miniature clock hands. "It's eleven. I've been out for awhile, haven't I?" 

"Yeah... longer than I thought..." She grabbed her watch from James's hand and put it back into her pocket. "We can't be walking around with our wands lit, then, if we get caught... eh... yeah..." She sentenced her wand back to it's dull self, and added it to her lint collection. 

"Never fear, m'lady, I have nocturnal vision..." He lifted the glasses from the bridge of his nose and squinted into the darkness of the halls. He grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her through the hallways, winding through the columns, darting up staircases... 

and running into the occasional statue. 

They had actually made great progress, and had just passed the Great Hall when they heard a murmuring from behind a locked door. Both of their faces paled, though neither could see the fear in the other. 

"Do you think it's one of the teachers?" asked Lily with a note of panic. 

"If I thought it was a teacher, would I be shaking like this?" 

"Aw, is ickle Jamie scared?" Lily giggled, but James hit her in the gut to silence her. 

"Shut up, Lily, I want to know what's going on..." He grabbed her by the arm and led her to the door, pressing his ear against the wood. However, the whispers were inaudible, and the attempt went without reward. 

Lily wriggled free of James's grasp. "What the - ?" 

James turned to face her, as her eyes were the only thing that he could make out in the black of the castle. "I don't understand.. it's none of the teachers, the voices are so young..." 

Lily gave a sigh of relief. "Well then, it's okay! It's probably just a group of students like us who happen to be up late, just, y'know, hanging out." 

The whispers suddenly ceased, and James's heart skipped a beat. "With the door locked?" 

Footsteps. Someone was standing up. Lily tried to force a grin. "Maybe they were making out?" 

James grabbed Lily's side and his free hand found it's way to her mouth. "One of them - someone is leaving - please shut up Lily - just - back away -" 

The door creaked open, and a cloaked figure made its way closer to Lily and James. James panicked, Lily put up a struggle, and the pair of them went sprawling to the ground. The figure stopped. They took out a stubby wand from the layers of their garments, and muttered quickly, "Lumos." 

In that single moment the hallway was streaked with light, and Lily and James were revealed to whoever was in that cloak, James atop Lily. The cloaked figure suddenly went spiraling to the ground in a fit of laughter. 

Lily grabbed James arms and hooked her hands around it. Glaring oddly at the robed person, her only two words were, "What the -- ?" 

From within the depths of the robes came a sharp, whinny voice, who seemed to be on some sort of alcohol. "Lily? James? Is that you two?" 

James glanced up, not bothering to free his arm from Lily. "Yeah, so what if we are?" 

The figure lifted two of their pudgy hands and drew back their hood. "Remus is gonna die when he hears about this!" 

Lily stood up abruptly. "Peter! What are you doing up this late?!" 

The robes were dropped to the ground. "Funny, Miss Evans, I was about to ask you the same thing..." He shot a sneering glance at James. "Although I already have a pretty good idea..." 

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'll explain later. Now, you tell me why the heck you're up so late, wandering around in a hood and cloak, behind locked doors." 

Peter grinned broadly, then reached back into his robes, and withdrew a sack half full of dung bombs. "Dare from Sirius. You won't want to go into the Transfiguration classroom for weeks." 

By this time, Lily was grinning as well. "I'm impressed, Peter, I didn't think you had it in you. Good boy." Peter smirked. 

"Yeah, well, if I hadn't done it, those dung bombs would have ended up in my drawers, I'm sure of it." He glanced back towards Lily and James, who had finally gotten the good sense to unlace their arms. "Now... I believe you told me that you would explain *why* you and James have been walking through the hallways with your arms locked?" 

"We haven't," protested James. "You just scared the crap out of the both of - er, you scared Lily. She does that." Peter raised his eyebrows. Lily kicked James. 

Peter turned around. "Well, got to run, my bedside is calling me, I'll leave you two lovebirds to fend for yourselves." He winked, then dashed up the stairs before James could strangle him. 

"The nerve of that little weasel -" started James. 

"The nerve of you!" pouted Lily. "'Oh, yeah, you scared Lily.' Scared me! What a load of crap, James." She put on her best Anne voice. "'Shut up Lily, someone's coming!'" James scowled. Lily grinned. 

"Well," began James. "I couldn't well have told the truth now, could I? It would look bad for my reputation." 

Lily pulled a face. "Screw you reputation." She giggled. "Come on, James, let's go, I'm tired." She let out a yawn, then raced up the stairs, dragging James behind her.   


"Please?" pleaded Peter. "Just tell 'em." 

"Why would I have dared you to set off dung bombs anyway?" He smirked, his face glowing, matching his bright red pajamas and scarlet blankets. "I would have taken the glory myself." 

Peter looked desperate at that point. "Sirius, if they ask you, or mention anything on the topic, just tell them that you made the dare!" 

"Why?" 

"God, Sirius, just do it!" 

Sirius started laughing. "Fine, fine, I'll do it. I don't know why I'm doing it, but if it means this much to you, whatever." He grinned, and pulled the drapes down, and instantly fell into a light sleep. 

Peter crawled into his bed, a twisted grin across his pointed face. He closed the scarlet drapes, with a soft murmur, "G'night, Sirius." 

* * * * * 

"Raye, have you seen my other shoe?" screeched Elizabeth frantically. Piles of makeup, gowns, robes, and assorted jewelry was thrown across the ground, and almost every girl was in complete distress. 

Raye looked up with two beautifully - but heavily - purple shaded eyes. "No, I'm sorry Beth, go digging through the piles on the ground, I'm sure they're in there somewhere." 

Anne was beaming cross legged form her bed, in a lemon yellow sleeveless pair of robes, strappy sandals with laces streaming up to her knees, and her hair in beautiful curls resting upon her head. She had spent the previous night without sleep assorting her outfit and makeup. She had not one iota of sanity left in her. All she could do was smile. 

"Thanks, Raye," wailed Elizabeth, and she went head diving into the piles of shoes upon the ground. After about ten minutes she resurfaced. "Oi! Raye! Look at these shoes! Aren't they adorable!" 

Anne looked over. "Elizabeth, those shoes would look great with that teal robe you just had on - no, wait! That black back less one across your bed would look completely cute with these!" She was holding up a high heeled pair of leather shoes. 

Elizabeth was squealing. "Thank you Annie, I love you!" Tears were in her eyes as she pulled on the outfit. "Eh, Anne, think you could help me with my hair? Just, you know, a braid or something." 

A giggle, and Anne was at Elizabeth's side, twirling her braided hair into an elegant bun. "Perfect!" She squealed, and Anne and Elizabeth flopped down upon Lily's bed. Lily was... in nothing short of distress. 

She was still in her dressing gown, and was sorting through her clothes, her hair already up in pins, looking beautiful, but she had nothing on her outfit. She was in agony, and was making a good deal of showing it. Screams were going off every two minutes. Anne's hearing was leaving her. 

Raye laced up the last one of her boots, completing her tight fitted red robe outfit. "I'm ready!" She glanced towards Lily. "Are you almost done?" 

Lily glanced hopelessly up at the rest of them. "I need a cigarette..."   


"What's taking them?" questioned Sirius. "I don't care how long that freaking Ravenclaw Branston has to wait for Elizabeth, but quite frankly, I'm tired of standing here in these suffocating robes... Can't Raye come any more quickly?" 

Remus was stretched across one of the armchairs. "Same. I wish Lily would just hurry it up... seriously hurry it up. These robes have such a terrible collar, it's going to choke me..." 

James was crouched in a corner, a game of exploding snap in front of him. "Oh, yeah, right, I hate satin too..." The cards lying within ten inches of his face suddenly exploding, singeing his hair. "I'm dying waiting for Anne, just dying..." He laughed at the other's distress. "I don't see what the big deal about this whole Spring dance is... it's completely casual." 

Sirius groaned. "Yeah, James, that's exactly why I'm standing here in starched, fitted silk robes -" 

"- With a collar so high I really do feel like a werewolf," finished Remus. 

Sirius let out a sigh. "I envy Peter, he's already left to the dance with that cute little first year, he's probably already stuffing himself with food." His stomach let out a sharp moan. "See?" 

But all three of them were cut short as Elizabeth skipped out of the girl's staircase and dashed through the portrait hole without turning to the boys once, surely going to find her Ravenclaw icon. 

"Screw her," muttered James. But Anne had stepped out in her lemon yellow outfit, looking completely adorable. James hardly looked up from his cards. With a nudge from Sirius, he made a quick, "Hello Anne, how are you tonight." Anne rolled her eyes desperately, but she was grateful to have found such a cute Gryffindor on such short notice. She grabbed his arm and stood him up. Remus gave him a wink and a laugh. 

Raye was making her way down the staircase, trying something of a catwalk. It was obvious by the hungry look on Sirius's face that his wait had been worth it. He walked himself over to Raye. He took her hand and bent down to kiss it. "You know, I'm waiting for a girl named Raye to take to the End of the Year dance, but you're pretty cute, so I think that I'll take you instead." Raye slapped him across the face, but the was grinning widely. 

"Let's go, Sirius." 

"Fine by me." He grabbed her arm, and the two of them left through the portrait hole, practically tripping over each other. 

"Looks like they like each other, huh?" 

James and Remus turned around and found themselves both gawking at the site before them. It was Lily, but like they'd never seen her before. She was wearing a pale white robe, but of strange proportions. It was much tighter than the average school robe, and it was lower cut. The sleeves were still just as long, but the skirt of the robes was short, and rested above her knees. White high heeled sandals rested beneath her feet. Her hair was drawn up into a neat bun, but stray strands of hair fell below her chin. Tiny lilies adorned her sleek red hair. Her eyelids held something of a white tint. 

Remus was staring in amazement, but James was completely mesmerized. He pointed towards her, and poked her in the chest. "You - are you Lily?" 

She nodded slowly. "Eh, yes, James, I am. Perhaps you should go and turn your attention to Anne, because I think she is a few moments away from hitting you." She smiled at him. "I'll going to be leaving with *Remus* now." She beamed up at Remus, and looked back down on her as if she were some type of delicate creature. They laced hands and walked through the portrait hole, leaving Anne and James alone. 

James turned to Anne. He gave her a sheepish grin. "I reckon we should be leaving now?" Anne gave him a cold nod, then walked through portrait hole without touching him at all. He shrugged, put his cards into his pockets, and followed.   


Sirius and Raye had disappeared off into the corner somewhere... Sirius hadn't even touched the refreshment table. That was saying something for Sirius. Who knew what Sirius was doing to innocent Raye. But then again, maybe they really didn't want to know... 

However, Sirius's accusation of Peter had been reasonable. He was completely stuffing himself, and the first year whom he had bribed into coming with him had left him cold and had gone off to hang out with small group of second year Hufflepuffs. But, that was Peter, like it or not. 

James had settled at a table, and was watching Lily more than he was watching his own partner to the dance. After the first thirty minutes of this, Anne had given up, and had left to find Elizabeth and Branston - anything would have been better than watching James gaze off at Lily like some lovesick neurotic. 

Remus and Lily - they were a completely different story. The dancing had yet to begin, so the two of them had been sharing sodas and desserts - it was enough to make James want to puke. However, the two of them were thoroughly enjoying each others company. That wasn't terribly surprising, though, as they were one of Hogwarts most well known and youngest couples. 

Suddenly, the Great Halls lights dimmed, and a small band including an orchestra, a few vocalists, and strangely, some sort of guitarists. Music began to play, the vocalists and guitars seemed to have been sitting out, and people raced out onto the dance floor, grabbing members of the opposite sex. 

Every second year Gryffindor raced over to the near empty table which Remus and Lily were already located at. 

Sirius was the first to speak. "All right, all of you, we're all going out there and we're going to dance our sad little -" 

Anne shook her head. "No swearing Sirius." 

He pulled a face at Anne. "Well, in any case, we're going to dance 'em off, okay? When this song is over, meet back here... trust me." He gave them all a wink, then grabbed Raye around the waist and shoulder, and waltzed onto the floor, both of them making themselves look like morons with insane dance moves that didn't exist... break dancing to slow music wasn't helping their case, either. 

James shook his head. "Now that's commitment to your girl." He grinned at Anne. "What do you say, Annie?" Her face lightened, and they both ran into the midst of the crowd, trying dearly to slow dance. Anne had it, but poor James was just walking in circles. 

"It's the effort that counts, right?" Lily took Remus by the hand and onto the dance floor. They were actually quite good. James took much account of this fact. 

Peter watched the other four Gryffindor boys out upon the dance floor moving madly. "It'd be a nice notion, but... I'd rather eat my calories than burn them." He smiled to himself, and trotted over to the refreshment table, shrimp cocktail in his pudgy hands.   


"So... what do you think, Lily?" Remus was still amazed at her dress code, and his thoughts were somewhat jammed. 

She smiled. "Well, for starters, I'm very glad that I talked you into coming... who knows, I might have ended up dancing with James, poor thing." 

Remus laughed at the remark. "You're terribly naive, Lily. James had been eyeing you the entire time... though I can't honestly blame him." Lily leaned backwards to face James, and they made eye contact. 

"So he has been..." She grinned, and waved her hand. Then she shouted out, "Hey James, how's it going!" Remus put his head in his hand, then made a small wave to James. 

"Lily... apparently the robes don't make you any more ladylike." 

Lily giggled. "Eh, no... wait... oh, no, they don't." She put her arm around his shoulders. "You don't mind, do you?" 

Remus just went a brick shade of red, laughed at his luck of taking Lily to the dance, and responded a short, "No, of course not."   


James face was beet red. 

"That must have been quite embarrassing, James dear," said Anne. She laughed. "You've been eyeing Lily an awful lot..." She put on a sarcastic hurt look. "I'm beginning to think you'd rather be her partner." 

He shook his head. "She just - doesn't look like - my Lily." 

"*Your* Lily?" Anne was flat out laughing now. 

James narrowed his eyes. "Come on Anne, you know that I don't mean it like that, don't be stupid. I know you're not." 

Her grip loosened on him. "Do you think we should go back to the table now, I - I'm sort of hungry - er, thirsty." 

Internally, James let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, great idea, I'll go and get you something, all right?" She nodded, and the two of them found it impossible to look back at each other. Anne simply walked back over to the table and sat down. She watched Remus and Lily dance longingly. She liked James, she really did, it was just that... 

"Drinks, anyone?" James was smiling, and he was holding two crystal glasses full of some sort of sparkling liquid. 

"Oh, thanks, James." Anne stood up and took a glass gratefully. James glanced at her, and their eyes caught each other in a single moment And in that split second, James realized that Anne felt the same discomfort that he did. 

"Anne... we need to talk to each other, I know it. Let's just... step out to the courtyard." Anne nodded, and she followed James into the moonlit yard of statues, hedges, and twisting trees which all seemed to be in bloom. After a five minute walk, they settled down into a two person pewter bench, their legs crossed, and both uneasy. 

"It's gorgeous out here, isn't it?" started Anne. 

James nodded. "It'd be a really romantic night, too. We could just sit here all night, rest in each other's arms, then lean in for the perfect kiss... only problem is, neither of us feel that way towards one another." Anne looked at him, a warm smile across her face. 

"I've been meaning to tell you for some time, James..." 

He nodded. "No, it's all right. I've known. You have passion only for Remus, and I can see why. Well, okay, that's a little gay on my part... just scratch that last part, okay? What I mean is, you don't feel for me, and I burn for someone different as well." 

Anne rested her head upon James's shoulder, and took one of his hands. "You don't realize what a relief it is that you are saying all of this." 

James put an arm around Anne. "I thought it might come out that way. And - I've gotten to know you wonderfully in the last month. I think that we'd make beautiful friends... and I wanted you to hear this before anyone else, simply because you're her best friend, and because I trust you above any other of my - eh - girl friends." Then he bent down and whispered something into her ear. Anne's eyes widened, and her glass dropped, sending shards of crystal all across the stone walk.   


Sirius was glaring at James and Anne. "Where have you two been? We've been waiting for nearly ten minutes! We want to move on..." He cleared his throat and grinned. "Well, as much as I'd love to keep dancing with my Raye, let's try something different... I'm doing this for the sake of Remus and Lily... let's *switch* dance partners, all right?" 

Remus and Lily exchanged confused glances, and then sent glares at Sirius, but it was too late. Anne had practically leapt upon Remus, and James had grabbed Lily around the waist and let her fall close to the ground, her stray strands of hair touching the marble floor. 

Lily was laughing. "What the hell are you doing, James Potter?" 

"Surely you remember last summer's gift, Lily?" He stood her back up. 

She pulled her robes back down, as she was sure everyone in the room had seen her panties. "I did promise you that I wouldn't forget it, didn't I?" Lily gave him a sly smile. James returned the grin....   


"Eh, Anne, might I ask why we're out here?" Remus glanced around himself, into the moonlight. "Just... curious." 

Anne looked nothing short of content. "I prefer the moonlight to the stuffy rooms full of people - and reckless people, like Sirius, who threaten to permanently injure me." 

Remus snorted. "Eh, yeah, well, he's sort of... different." He glanced down at Anne's beaming face. "So - you say you like dancing out here?" 

Anne nodded. "C'mon Remus, I realize that these social situations make you weak at the knees, but just give me a chance to win you over with my charm, all right?" Remus let out a second laugh. 

"Anything, Anne..." He put a hand on her waist and grabbed her other hand. She took a liberty and rested her head upon his shoulder, moving along in a rhythmic pattern to the beating of his heart. 

A slim beam of moonlight poured down and lit up both of their faces. "Actually, Remus, I was serious about that last comment." Remus's face went blank, but Anne let a warm smile cross her pale lips. "I know that you've been feeling for Lily, but try to understand how I feel as well..." She then crossed her arms around Remus's neck, and embraced him. "I do care for you Remus. Try to accept that..." Then the two of them went on dancing in that square of silver moonlight.   


Lily let out a slight scream as an apple danish hit her in the face. She pulled off the bit of crust that she could reach, and tried to wipe of some of the pale apple and syrup from her face. "You die now, Potter!" She grabbed a plate of creme puffs and threw them repeatedly at James, as if they were some twisted sort of snowball. 

James lifted his creme coated glasses and glared at Lily. "Happy? Look what you've done to my innocent little glasses." 

A house elf ran over to clean up the cream all across the floor, and Lily suddenly became beside herself in a fit of fresh laughter. "James, my beautiful lilies and my gorgeously done hair, you've completely ruined it all." 

"Mm, this stuff is good." James took another lick off of his own face. Then he shouted over, "Besides, Lily, I think you look rather attractive when you're covered in apple. But, you know, you make a big deal of those danishes that I threw at you... the real problem is splattered across your ass." 

"What?" Lily turned around, and to her complete horror, she found that the entire bottom of her lily colored robes was covered with a thick chocolate mousse. Her entire face flushed, and she screamed out, ringing through the kitchens, "JAMES POTTER, YOU'RE DEAD!" 

Lily grabbed a kidney pudding, and ran through the kitchens, wildly chasing James around. James quickly grabbed a silver plate to serve as a shield against the pudding. Both were laughing hysterically, and at last, as Lily cornered James, she let her pudding fly, but James swerved the silver platter with perfect timing, and the pudding sprayed across James's face, and across Lily's front. 

Both second years fell to the ground in hysterics. "Eh, Lily, you've got meat all over your front..." James took a finger and swiped some of it off of her chest and took it to his mouth, lapping it up. "Hey, this stuff isn't that bad!" 

"Oh, James, come on, don't touch me there!" 

He let out a cough. "Who was the one that wanted to watch me change?" 

"Who was the one that fell into my shower?" 

James stopped. "Er, well, that doesn't count, because I was, eh, not fully conscious! Ha!" 

Lily rolled her eyes. "Just don't touch me, okay? Then we'll both be just fine. Got it?" James raised his eyebrows and looked down. 

"Sure thing, mum." 

Lily's face went beet red. "What the hell did you just call me James?!" She put both of her hands on his shoulders and backed him into the wall. "I just want a bit of personal space, do you hear that?!" 

James looked first at Lily's face, then at her hands, each resting upon his shoulder, though holding him against the wall. "Hey, sorry Lily, my god you've got a short temper." She began to look down as he said it, and a smile began to spread across her face. "And, Lily, I believe that the position is supposed to be reversed..." 

In one movement he ducked beneath Lily, spun her around and pinned her against the wall. Lily's eyes were wide. "Eh, James, maybe this position isn't that great... you - you wouldn't be thinking of - you wouldn't, would you?" James grinned. He could hear the fear in her voice, but at the same time, he could see her smile. 

Lily felt her heart stop in her chest. She knew what James was about to do, and if she wanted to prove loyal to Remus, she had to stop him. She didn't want to, but.... 

James made one sharp movement towards Lily, his eyes closed, and if Lily had simply let herself be kissed, it would have happened, and everything that she was really meant to feel, she would have felt, but she was full of too much pride. Before their lips could make contact, Lily pulled one of her arms free and hit James across the jaw. 

There was blood all across Lily's chest, neck, and face. James looked awkwardly up at her. Despite his mouth full of blood, he made the effort to speak to her. "I didn't count on you using your self defense to block that kiss. That was supposed to have been really romantic." 

Lily's eyes were stinging. "Yeah, well, whatever happened to my personal space, huh? You're my friend, James, my dearest friend, but you're nothing more than that. I gave up time for dancing with Remus to have some moronic food fight with you, not to be enticed by you." She looked down. "I belong to Remus." 

James tried to catch her gaze. "Lily, you don't belong with Remus, you two aren't supposed to be together." There was some sort of manic glint in James's eye as he said it all. "When I promised you that I'd always be there for you, and that I'd always love you... I meant it all as your friend. But I've finally seen you in a different light, and now you're the only one that I feel for... Why can't you see that?" 

Lily's eyes were burning, and a small stream of tears began to issue from her emerald eyes. "I love you too, James, but I can't love you that way, I just can't..." She lifted the hand that she had hit him with, and laid it across the side of James's face. She wiped some of the blood away with her hand, staining it red, and then she tied her arms around James's neck. 

"I'm sorry, James. I'm truly sorry." Her tears had left their mark upon his shoulder as she lifted her head. Then she stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek, ignoring the fact that it was covered in blood. Finally, explosive with tears, she lifted her wand, removed all blood and food from her body and robes, and ran away, leaving James dumb struck in the kitchen of Hogwarts, his jaw broken, and his heart shattered. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Did you few people that actually read my junk think i had forgotten this story? It's been over one month, I think... Oh well. ^__^;; I'm so so so so sorry for not writing any sooner, but I've been busy... actually, I haven't, I've just been extremely lazy. Forgive me. Btw : I realize that this one was WAY shorter than my previous one. It's less than 15 pages on word pro. I'm so ashamed. But I really had to end it on the note that I did, don't you think?

I know that I promised to break Remus and lily up previously... instead, I just broke James and Lily up. That was dumb, huh? Kill me, James fans. Don't worry, don't fret, I swear it to you that I will eventually put them together. It just seems a bit early, and I have to build up someone for poor Remus, don't I? I already know how I'm breaking my two favorite chars up, but I mustn't tell the public.

((can ya guess who remus is gonna end up with? lol))

All credit goes to J.K.Rowling. I love you, darling. All characters were created by herself, not me. All eventual plots were created by her, not me. All of the good parts in my story were created by her, not me. =^_^= You get the picture.

Now it's time to give myself some credit. I created all of the girls in this story excluding Lily. They're solely mine. You may take them if you want, but I sincerely doubt that anyone would want such creatures. Poor poor children they is. ::sob:: The plot belongs to me as well....

Please don't flame me about that. And, don't flame me about how slowly this story is progressing. I am GETTING THERE. I am just ... eh ... taking my time. I've been winging it for a while, but I've actually thought of a plot, I just haven't installed it yet. Allrighty? I'm making progress... not much, but am making progress at the very least. Give me that much. What do you think of my girls, thoe? Too strange? Too odd? Too girl? Hehe. I realize that I am taking alot of liberty as far as associating these characters with the Marauders, since ((duh)) none of them are mentioned in the HP books. I will find a way to make that all okay. Okay?

Thank you to all of my classmates who I've talked into reading this. I love you all. Not that way, thank you.

I am continuing to write, I promise not to neglect my story this time.

~arch angel

p.s. - i've been informed that the groundskeeper's name was ogg 


	7. Fun, Sun, and a Cheesy Summer Fic!

~*Roses of Plenty*~ _~*Roses of Plenty*~_

_ *Chapter Seven*_

_Sun, Fun, and a Divorce of Lily's Friendship... Again..._

_ All characters are copyright J.K. Rowling, I take no credit whatsoever for them. Please enjoy the fic..._

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* 

Lily Evans lay up in her room, her door locked, and herself sprawled across her stomach on her old feather bed, a small crystal globe in her hands. She was gazing at it with a fixed stare, and she carried a dead atmosphere around herself. 

"Lillian, dinner's ready, hon, come on downstairs, okay?" Lily didn't move in response to her mother's calling. She had already wasted one week of her summer, and she was still feeling terrible about how she had ended the year. Her relation with Peter and Sirius, as well as Anne, Raye and Elizabeth remained as always, but with Remus she had been moving downhill... because in all honesty, the only person she'd been thinking about was James Potter.... 

She couldn't possibly have been in worse spirits, and she felt just about ready to poison herself... or maybe drown herself, she certainly deserved the pain. It was sort of frightening that a twelve year old girl would be contemplating suicide. But, then again, it wasn't all that usual procedure that by the mere age of twelve complex love triangles and circles would have been developing underneath the surface of Lily's previously average and normal childhood. 

"Lily, dear, your dinner's going to be cold by the time you get down here! Please come on down!" Lily rolled her eyes, then pulled open her drawers and grabbed out an oversized tee shirt and stuffed it underneath the gap between her door and the raggedy carpeting. The sound of her mother's calls muffled, she flopped backwards back onto her bed, hitting her head upon the globe. 

Wincing in pain, she grabbed the globe from underneath of herself and chucked it emotionlessly across the room. Emotion quickly surfaced as one of the lilies tore, and a sharp crack began running down the side of the crystal. She let out a scream and dashed over to the globe, picking it up and soothing it. 

"Oh, hold on, it'll be okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you... dear lord, I'm talking to an inanimate object... god have I reached an all time low." She placed the globe back onto her desk and pulled over a chair and gazed into the orb. She noticed that the Lily in her crystal world was standing with her back turned on the opposite end of the stone ground than the back turned James. Lily let out a cryptic laugh. "That's comforting..." 

There came a sudden knocking against glass, and Lily thought for a moment that her globe was cracking further, but she quickly realized that it was at her window. 

There was a tawny owl outside of her window. 

Lily couldn't help but let a grin spread stupidly across her face, and she head dived for the window, bouncing back off of the glass, and falling to the ground. If the owl could have rolled it's eyes at that moment, it may very well have. Lily gave herself a pat on the head, then lifted up the window and let the owl fly into the window. Almost immediately, she bounded atop the owl, wrestling away it's letter. The owl let out a shrill shriek of terror, then darted out of the window, half of it's feathers sticking up in the wrong direction. 

Lily allowed herself a grin. She tore open the long awaited letter and read it aloud. 

_Hey Lily,_   
_ Hi... er, it's James, but I reckon you probably recognized my owl, eh? I haven't sent you quite as many owls as I did last year, but as you didn't break my jaw last year, you're going to have to break even with me on that one._

A red tint overtook Lily's face, and she frowned upon the comment, but she kept reading. 

_ Anyway, you've been pestering poor Moony for quite some time now about having you over, and he's caved. You're invited. Don't ask me why I'm extending the invite, Remus just thinks that this would be an amusing sort of thing for him to ponder later. He knows. But, then again, when you're entire face is covered with blood, someone has to take you to the Hospital Wing, correct? Don't fret, I told him not why you hit me... he just thinks you were being yourself._   
_ What a fetching friend you've got, eh Lily?_   
_ I realize that this was a long and tedious message, but arrive in a few days time (or now, if you'd like, I suppose it really depends upon the owl's speed, doesn't it?) as I've already informed Remus of your coming._   
_ If you don't show, I'll be murdered. You owe me._

_Love Always,_   
_ James_

Lily laughed good-naturedly and added the letter to her collection within one of her desk drawers. Then she grabbed a piece of parchment and a spare quill, sucked on the tip for a moment, then scribbled down hurried words. 

_James Dear,_   
_ Hello. Nice of you to finally write me. I didn't hurt you when I fractured a tiny segment of your bone, did I?_   
_ I really shouldn't come, I think it'd be a nice addition to Moony's home, your head hanging over his mantle. Don't worry, I'd come for your body with a plastic bag, no fear. However, as I've been nothing short of miserable the entire summer, I'll be arriving within the next few hours... well, I suppose that it's possible you'll get this after I arrive, but my owl can handle it. She's more brilliant than yourself, I can tell you that much._   
_ I know where Remus lives. I don't know how to get their. Wish me luck!_

_Forever Yours,_   
_ Lily_

The quill quivered, then fell to the desk with exhaustion. Lily grinned with satisfaction, then sealed the letter shut with a wad of gum she's been chewing prior to receiving James' letter. She stalked over to her owl's perch, where her snowy beauty was currently resting. She prodded her in the chest. 

"Come on, wake up, I've got a job for you..." The snowy owl's electric blue eyes batted sleepily, but she let out a yawn, stretched her wings, and lifted her leg. "Good girl, Mercedes." She tied the letter on quickly, then gave her a stroke down her back. The owl let out a coo, then soared out of the window. 

Lily sighed, then grinned. She unlocked her door, and pulled out the shirt. She opened her door, made a short walk to the stairway, and called down, "So, Mum, what were you saying about dinner?"   
  


Mrs. Evans groaned as the fourth hour in the non air conditioned Ford passed unmercifully. "I cannot _believe_ you talked me into this..." Lily too was growing uncomfortable in the sticky seats, but she was trying to hide her discomfort from her mother. 

"Come on, it has to be this neighborhood, think reasonably." 

Mrs. Evans rolled her eyes. "Funny, you said that exact thing two and a half hours ago, what makes this one any different?" 

Lily wasn't listening, she had already propped open her door. "Oi! Mum, right here, this is it!" Little after she had said that, she felt belittled by the house - or rather, manor's appearance. It towered high above the ground, and was surrounded by acres of flowering field and forest. And the home was a beautiful marble, with gorgeously polished stone pillars supporting gracious balconies. Lily was simply in awe, but she had little time to gape. 

"Lily! Hey!" Lily spun around and found herself face to face with James. Instantly, she felt her knees weaken, and she felt her face go up in flame. James was looking queerly at her. 

"You sick or something, Lily?" She shook her head, tucking her hair back, and ran over to the front of the house, inches away from James. 

"Eh... nice to, erm, see you again." She extended an extremely sweaty and shaky hand. She tried a grin, but couldn't get her muscles to work properly. 

James rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on Lily, you're not still afraid that I'm going to make a move on you again, do you? I like my nose where it is." Lily managed a laugh. 

"Sorry, James, it's just, somewhat awkward, though I'd expect it more awkward for yourself... but you're not the one with a social retardation at the moment, are you?" James shook his head sadly. 

"Listen, maybe you should just come inside, the rest of us are in there, waiting for you. Just don't treat them like you just did to me, or they might kick you out. All right?" He grinned at her, then grabbed her arm and led her up the front stairs. 

There was a loud explosion, followed by the laughter of several boys. "Honestly, you three, what's so amusing about these games?" The girl who had just spoken gave out a sigh, then turned to face Lily and James. "Oh, Lily, you made it, hello!" 

"Anne?" Lily glanced curiously around, first to our Marauders, then to Anne, and then back to James. Lowering her voice a considerable amount, she asked James in an irritated voice, "What just happened that I missed? Why is _Anne_ here?" 

A startled and somewhat embarrassed look crossed James's face. "Eh, well, Lily... after you kind of... fractured my face... you sort of... secluded yourself from the rest of us. Please don't blame any of us, but... Anne melded in, and she took your place. Not permanently, but we just found something in her... and now..." 

Lily just shook her head with disbelief. "I just - I can't believe I was _replaced_." 

James frowned. "You weren't replaced! Look, you're back, aren't you?" 

Fury was sweeping over Lily like a gust of hot air. "How the hell is she supposed to work? She has nothing in common with you four! How am I supposed to be -- Lily -- with another girl around?" 

An eyebrow was raised by James, and a smile crossed his face. "You're jealous, aren't you? You don't want competition... Lily, don't take any offense, but when it comes to being the lady of the group, Anne fits your shoes better than you yourself did." 

"I was never the girl! I was just another one of the guys... with a butt..." Lily's face went brick red. "And a nice one, too, mind you!" James smirked. 

"Well, let's think, you're a cute little girl, who beats people up, teases them, calls them swear words that even _Sirius_   
wouldn't repeat. You aren't our little Lily anymore." 

Angry beyond all reason, and raising her voice a good deal, she shouted towards James, "Well, you weren't exactly thinking along those lines when you cornered me and tried to kiss me, WERE YOU?!" 

Another explosion went off, but you could have heard a pin drop, even on the velvet carpeting of Remus' home, after the explosive device settled, and all eyes were upon James and Lily, Lily whose teeth were bared in fury, and James who had gone from red to deathly pale in two seconds. Everyone in the room froze, watching those two. 

Sirius broke the silence. "Oh... I get it!" He grinned at the rest of them. "James tried to kiss her, and that's why she broke his jaw! It's all coming together, am I genius or what?" 

Lily stopped breathing. Her mouth shut, and her face slowly drained of color. Both James and Lily were unmoving. Finally, Lily teetered closer to James. Her lips hardly moving, she whispered one word into his ear. "Run." 

He didn't need telling twice. In less than a second, the two of them had turned on their heels and had dashed out of that house with as much speed as they could gather. They reached the steps and Lily stopped for a split second to grab a pair of brooms by the door. 

Running back after James, she called out, "Here, James, take a broom, we can make it away from them that way!" She tossed him one of the sticks, and she straddled the one she still held, and kicked off from the ground with such passion that she had never known. 

"Come on James, hurry up, they'll be gaining on us! .... James?" She turned back to face him, he was on the same level as her, a gaunt expression on his face, but - he was standing upright. Confused, Lily looked down. 

Lily's feet were still upon the ground. James rolled his eyes. "These aren't racing brooms, Lily dear. They're brooms that Remus has been using to sweep out the house. We're going to get caught. So - RUN FASTER THAN YOU'VE EVEN RUN BEFORE UNTIL YOU CAN FEEL THE HELL INSIDE OF YOU!" 

James grabbed Lily's hand, and they both took a barrel roll into a shrub. Lily pulled a face. "Oh, yeah, being stuck in a green pile of thorns is _much_ better than being asked whether or not you really did it." 

James poked his tongue out at her. "Shut up, Lily." 

"You." 

"You." 

"You." 

"You." 

Lily groaned. "Look, I realize that this will be much, _much _worse for you than me. That's exactly why I want to surrender now." 

"I'm not leaving these bushes until the others are gone." 

"Then we'll be in these bushes all night, as this is Remus' home, O smart one." 

"I knew that." 

"I'm sure." 

They both pulled faces at each other, crossed their legs, and turned around. They didn't last long before Lily jabbed James in the back. 

Spooked, James twirled around, his wand in his hand, and cast a freezing enchantment towards Lily. If it had been the group of boys which he had been hoping for, it would have been a great success, but no, of course, it was poor Lily. So, not only was she completely paralyzed, but a large quantity of blue light had been sparked high above both of their heads. 

'Nice move,' thought Lily. 

James smiled cheekily, looking as innocent as possible. "Oops."   


They didn't have to tie Lily down, after James's convenient display of fireworks. They just propped her up upon a chair, sat her upright, and let her watch as they questioned James. Although, so far, that hadn't really led to any sort of accomplishment. ("What_ I_ don't understand is why James tried to kiss her, and then attacked her...?") 

James tried once again to struggle free. "So, tell me once again why you bound me to the chair?" 

"So you couldn't move," answered Sirius, for most probably the hundredth time in a row. 

"I could move the chair." 

Peter grinned. "Which is why we bound the chair to the sofa. We're purely brilliant." 

Remus groaned. "We're not getting anywhere like this..." He went over and laid himself across the couch. "I'm going to sleep, all right? You morons can wing it on your own." 

Anne just squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "Um, Remus, maybe I'm just not quite adapted to your whole little style of life, but, eh, isn't Lily _your_ girlfriend?" 

Remus looked up. "Eh... yeah, I think she is. I'm going to have to beat James up later, but right now, I'm tired." Anne fidgeted again, and looked down, trying very hard not to roll her eyes. 

Lily would have pulled a face if she could have managed it. 'It's going to be a long night...' 

* * * * * 

"The bloody hell... look at it!" Sirius's eyes were practically dancing with glee. "Who would throw out such a thing?" 

Remus set down the stone that he had been preparing to lodge at James's head. "Oh, gee, Sirius, I don't know, maybe someone who didn't want to be taken into custody by the Ministry of Magic for bewitching a Muggle item." 

Sirius wasn't listening. "It's gorgeous, isn't it? It's mine!" 

Lily was still having trouble with coordination. Anne was choosing to stand next to her at all times, since she seemed to have been the one which moved the least. Poor thing. "It's a motorcycle... big deal. My cousin's got one, there's nothing special about it." 

James snorted. "You really are a moron, Lily, come and look just a bit closer." Lily shot a dangerous look at him, then approached the vehicle. 

"I still don't quite see what's so special about the freakin motorcycle...?" 

James shot Sirius a grin. "Why don't you _show_ her what's so special about the 'freakin motorcycle.'" Sirius grinned. 

Sirius jumped on top of the motorcycle, and grabbed Lily, throwing her on behind him. Lily looked around nervously at the others. "Sirius, what the hell are you going to do to me?!" 

"Nothing much, Lily, just take you for a little ride - !" He twisted the locks back and as the engines revved, he shot the motorcycle straight up into the air. Lily let out a piercing scream and grabbed Sirius tightly around the waist. 

"Lily! God, girl, I appreciate the affection, I mean to say, I know I'm attractive, but you're about to cut me in half!" Lily shot a look of pure evil at him. 

"Black! Get me down - RIGHT - NOW!" 

"Come on, have some fun, I'm just getting used to this thing!" 

Lily looked down and threatened to puke. "Sirius, you're 'getting used' to a flying vehicle at about eighty feet away from the ground... can we - er -_ please_ - go down now?" 

Sirius laughed, and might a tight cut behind a tree, hitting Lily in the face with a branch. "C'mon, what happened to my brave Lily? The fearless wonder who can't be replaced by Anne because she's a girl? I was talking about, Anne, by the way, not you." 

Lily, in spite of herself, began to laugh. "Remind me to kill both you and James when I get down. What does Raye see in you, anyway?" 

Sirius stopped in midair, almost jerking Lily off the back end. She went back to clutching his chest tightly. "Hm, you know, maybe she sees my irresistibly good looks." Lily rolled her eyes. 

"When I ever fall for you for any reason whatsoever, could you please just take me on another ride up here and drop me off?" 

Sirius pulled a face. "You're right... you're just jealous because Remus can't possibly compare with my manly features. Mind you, if you ever tell him that I said that, he may just skip that Whomping Willow of his and eat me alive." 

Lily grinned with the thought of both Sirius' and James' heads mounted above Remus' elaborately carved fireplace next to each other, and both of their bodies in plastic baggies slung over her shoulder. "If I tell you that you're totally and completely adorable and that my Moony can't compare to you physically, will you take me down?" 

He pondered the question. "How 'bout you just say it for the heck of it all?" 

"Would you take me to the ground if I kissed you?" 

"Can do, darling." 

Lily almost fell off of the motorcycle in laughed, and she pinched Sirius. "I'd hit you, but you'd just knock me off." 

Sirius grinned. "Hey, it'd take you down to the ground, you might want to consider." Lily giggled. 

"You know, Sirius, you aren't half bad when you aren't trying to poison or kill me in any way." 

"Aw, stop it Lily, you're embarrassing me." He turned around and grinned at her. "You wanna go down now?" Lily smiled, and nodded her head earnestly and frantically. Sirius grinned. "Hold on tight - !" 

The engine was revved, and Lily rolled her eyes to it at first - she stopped once Sirius had directed the motorcycle straight into the air. He looped it around backwards, then upside down, and went spiraling at a ninety degree angle to the ground. Lily was in tears. Her entire body was wrapped around Sirius. Sirius, on the other hand, was _thoroughly_ enjoying Lily's company, and was laughing so hard that he was in tears as well. 

Lily was screaming as loud as her lungs would permit. Her fingernails were boring into the skin of Sirius' chest, when suddenly, it all stopped. 

The beautiful green eyes of Lily Evans were peeled open again, and her shrill screaming stopped abruptly. All eyes were on Lily, and almost everyone - including innocent little Anne - seemed to be suppressing laughter. 

Anne was the first to speak. "Lily, maybe you should just leave Remus to me after all. I mean, first you go kissing James, now trying to get to Sirius -" 

Lily became aware at that moment that her legs were completely wrapped around Sirius. But hearing James' name -- 

Lily unlatched her legs, smoothed her wild red hair down, and recovered her fingernails from Sirius' shirt, leaving tiny holes in the cotton. She jumped off of the motorcycle, dizzy and uncoordinated, and paraded over to James in something that she had intended to be a beeline, but had ended up more as a rendezvous with every wizard currently outside, until she finally reached James. 

She shook her finger cautiously at him. Then, Lily gave him the absolute most venomous stare she could muster in such a state. It might actually have worked, too, but as she couldn't maintain her own balance, she had to support herself upon his shoulder. "James - Potter - I - hate - you - and - I - will - kill - you - !" She threw something of a punch at him. Normally, such a thing would have broken his nose, but it didn't even come close to bloodying it. 

James shook his head. "Lily, I don't think it will take much to knock you over..." 

Like a drunken, drug-abused twelve and a half year old, she screamed out, "Oh yeah? Just - try me." 

James shrugged his shoulders. "This will hurt you a lot more than it's gonna hurt me..." He took his forefinger and flicked her dead center in the nose. She didn't even flinch. She just fell backwards and came to the ground with a sharp thud. 

Remus looked uneasily down at her. "D'you think she'll be okay?" 

Sirius examined her carefully, prodding her in unusual places. "She'll be fine." 

"Did you really have to poke her?" questioned Remus imploringly. 

"Eh... no. But c'mon, Moony, she's hot." He grinned cheekily at Remus, who returned the grin, but then sent him spiraling to the ground with a kick in the face. "Ouch." 

Anne leaned over and drew a face at Sirius. "Eh, you think he'll be all right?" 

Peter, Remus and James all looked at her oddly, then answered simultaneously, "Don't care." Anne rolled her eyes. 

"I'm going in for band-aides. Where's Lily's first aide kit Remus?" 

"Third cabinet from the right, top drawer, Anne." 

"Oh, thanks. See you tonight."   
  


"Lily, are you sure you're walking straight?" 

"Positive. I haven't run into a statue for the last five minutes, right? Ouch!" She rubbed her head furiously after running into a large and rather noticeable stone fountain. 

Anne shook her head. "I think that maybe you should just let me carry you..." 

Lily shook her head. "Come on, that one didn't count, it was right in the middle of the room, and it's taking up a lot of space..." 

Rolling her eyes, Anne continued walking upstairs in her satin nightgown. "You need some sort of serious therapy, Lily." 

"Feh. You say that, but whose the one with the real problems? I believe that I currently hold more positions in my public relationships than you do." Lily beamed. Then she walked into a bust. Anne just shrugged and kept walking. 

"You can keep your damn relationships, and I think I'll hold on to my sanity."   


"Hey Anne. Where's Lily?" 

Anne fluffed one of the pillows upon the full sized bed. "She keeps walking into statues and such, she doesn't really have her coordination back." 

Sirius crawled over James in their bed and responded, "If all she's doing is walking into statues, she's gained herself some coordination." 

Anne pulled a face at the four boys as they began cracking up. "You shouldn't be so hard on Lily. Especially you, Remus." 

Remus nudged Peter out of the way and sat up atop his pile of pillows. "I'm the only civil one to her, and you all know it." 

"You talk like it's such an easy task that we all choose not to participate in," commented James. "In all honesty, she doesn't go around breaking your jaw." 

Peter kicked Remus and sat up himself. "Sorry, Moony, James has got a point. She obviously favors you. She's put James in the hospital wing twice." 

Remus poked his tongue out. "Look, all of you, I just happen to be a little nicer than you all. James, you are _constantly_ teasing her. Peter, you didn't like her from the start. And Sirius... well... you just stand for yourself." Sirius was beaming as though he'd just been titled Commander of the Earth as we know it. He was slightly disturbing at times. 

"Remus, I _am_ nice to her." James was near standing at that point. "But she isn't the sentimental type, and she doesn't want to take that crap from me." He grinned at Remus. "She only wants it if she's giving back a little in return." 

Anne batted her eyelashes. "Aw, Jamsie, but you love ickle Lily. Doesn't that make up for it all?" 

James went beet red. "I do not." 

Peter nodded. "Uh-huh. Which explains why you tried to kiss her in the kitchens." 

"She just looked especially good in that dress, I couldn't help myself!" He paused for a moment. "How did you know that it was in the kitchens?" 

Peter grinned maliciously. "You'd be surprised what those house elves told me when I went to go for a snack at around two fifteen that night. They told me how you'd cornered her and pinned her to the wall, but she still made fool of you." Peter was trying hard to hold in tears of laughter. 

James turned his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "Look, even if I **did** like her - which I don't, Remus," he added as Remus began to reach for his wand. "She has no interest whatsoever in myself, and I have none in her. All right? Can you all stop making such a big deal out of this? It's just Lily, the same mad, hell raising tomboy she's always been." 

Lily chose that moment to walk in through the doors, wearing what looked like Remus's mother's lingerie, and holding a half drunken, and _extremely_ large bottle of brandy. "Remus, darling, look what I found in your cellar!" She let out a rich burp. "Hey, y'know, I didn't even know you had a cellar!" She gave a drunken wave to Remus, as well as a grin, and something of a topple that would have destined her to the ground, had Anne not rushed over and caught her. Lily gave a surprised look as she hoisted her upright. "Hi Anne, did you see the cellar too?" 

Anne gaped for a moment, then nearly fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. "She's completely drunk! Underage drinking!" She jumped up, biting her lip, looking terrified. 

Peter prodded Remus, who was simply staring at Lily, open mouthed, in some sort of extreme terror. "Um... Remus..." Peter started. "Does your_ mum_ go around in pajamas like that?" 

Anne shoved her fist in her mouth, and tried to stop giggling, then walked back over to her bed, leading Lily to it, as she rocked back and forth, occasionally falling over. Anne shrugged her shoulders and raised her eyebrows as she tucked Lily into her bed. Then snorting slightly, as soon as Lily began her usual snores, Anne began giggling again, and seated herself on the edge of the bed, facing the other four. 

"Remus, maybe you should lock your cellar. If Lily drinks any more, she's gonna kill herself." 

Remus sent a questioning glance towards Anne. "Lily's already been drinking too much... we don't own a wine cellar. She brought that thing to her through magic. Or... Sirius?" 

Sirius turned around, holding another full bottle of wine. "Oh, this? It's nothing... it's... er... a hobby!" He let it crash to the floor, grinning madly. 

Anne gasped, looking at Sirius with twisted disgust, nodded her head, then looked over at Lily with pity. "Poor thing..." Then she crawled under the sheets. "G'Night, the four of you, I'm off to sleep before my mind is _too _sorely corrupted... sweet dreams..." 

* * * * * 

Lily awoke early that morning, the sunlight splashing across her sweaty red face. She reached her arms instinctively up to pull up the flannel sleeves of her pajamas, but met only bare skin. Her eyes open wide, she wondered for a brief moment whether or not she was wearing anything at all. Then she looked down, and the truth hit her harder than a load of bricks. 

Gasping for air, she quietly decided that she would rather have been naked. She began to inhale and exhale slowly, trying to think rationally. But with a semi transparent silk nightie lined with frills hovering just below her limit for robe cuts, it was hard to think at all. 

"What the hell happened to me?" she asked aloud, her eyes stinging. Looking down, she noticed the large bottle of alcohol by her bedside. 

"I can't believe it... I was drunk... that ride on the motorbike... that disoriented me... I must have gone and found this... and then... I found _this_..." She looked down at her frilly, skimpy night wear. Wrapping the sheets from hers and Anne's bed around herself to hide her body. Then preparing to scream louder than she'd ever screamed in her life, she raised her voice and shouted out, "JAMES POTTER, YOU'RE DEAD!" 

Pulling the sheets away from her bed, she jumped over the bed which Sirius and James were occupying, and landed atop James's head. "You moron, you freak of nature! Get your lazy butt out of bed, then I'll rip you limb from limb!" 

The dark brown eyes of James tore open, and a look of terror was evident within them. "Lily, what the hell? Get off of me and put some clothes on!" 

Sirius was the first of the others to wake up, mainly because the weight of the person next to him on the bed had nearly doubled. He grinned when he saw Lily in with only sheets surrounding her jumping on top of James. "James, might I ask why Lily is in bed with you?" 

Lily snarled. "Sirius, that's very funny, but I really don't have time to deal with you right now, get back to me later." She turned back to James and wrapped her hands around his neck and began strangling him. "You - are - so - dead - look - at - what - you - did - to - me!" 

By this time, the other three had awoken. "Well, actually," started Peter, "We all saw what James did to you. Sirius took a picture. See? I'm sleeping with mine." Lily turned to glare at Sirius. 

Sirius grinned. "Guilty." He took out a crinkled photo from under his pillow and handed it to Lily. It was most definitely her... except that she was dancing in the picture, and at times, the scant amount of cloth would fly high into the air. 

"Please, _please_ tell me that I didn't flash anyone..." 

"This time, Lily, you're the guilty one." 

Lily felt like crying. She got over that emotion rather quickly, though. She stood on her feet and starting bouncing atop James. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" ("That's a bit much, isn't it?" asked Sirius.) 

James made a quick movement and sent Lily toppling headfirst into the floor. "What did I do?!" he roared. "Sirius took you into the air, and then you got yourself drunk! And while you're blaming random people, blame poor Moony here for letting his mother were sleazy clothing around the house." 

Remus was extremely pink. He cleared his throat loudly and tried to set his face back to it's normal hue. "I do wish people would stop saying that. It's not _my _fault. My poor, poor parents, they get no respect from the people that I hold most dear in my life." 

Sirius let out a pretend sniffle. "Aw, that's beautiful Remus, do you hold _me_ dear in your life?" He gave Remus a false smile. Remus threw a clock at him from the bedside. 

Anne shook her head, and went to go help Lily up. "I can't see how Lily could last with you lot for two weeks, much less two years, she _really_ doesn't get enough credit. The poor, abused child..." 

Remus gave a smile dripping with lack of enthusiasm. "How can she be abused when she's got me?" 

She rolled her eyes. "My mistake. She's been abused _and _corrupted. I pity her. I really pity her." She grabbed Lily under her arms and dragged her upright. "How can you _possibly_ stand them?" 

Lily glanced towards James and glared. "You know, Anne, I haven't the slightest idea how I put up with them." 

James gave a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, we're so terrible, we go around landing people in the hospital wing and calling them terrible names, setting hexes on them, and then breaking their jaws, but poor Lily and her balls are far too kind to commit such a crime." 

Drawing her wand, Lily thrust herself at James and cursed him, putting an instant effect of jelly legs upon him. "You, shut up, all right?" 

Trying to stand up but miserably failing, James grabbed her wand and snapped it in half, anger like such he had never felt before coursing through his body. "There. You deserved it, Evans. You deserved it all." 

Lily simply looked dumb struck. "No... you didn't... you didn't just..." She looked over at James, first with indescribable fury, then pain, and then with an emotion none of them had ever seen across Lily's unbroken face. She burst out with a ear splitting scream, tears running down her face, then she raced from the room. "I'm sorry, Remus, I'm going back home, Sirius, I'm borrowing your motorbike." 

James just pulled a face at her. Remus looked genuinely concerned and threw another object at James. Sirius looked terrified. "Lily - hold on! You're not taking my motorcycle without me!"   


"Lily, what are you doing?" Sirius was looking at Lily as though she were absolutely insane. He straddled his motorcycle and looked up at her. "I'm not letting you go back." 

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her eyes were swollen and bloodshot. "Look, Sirius, I just want to go, please help me, I don't know how to operate this thing." 

"Eh... normally I'm not civil enough to allow anyone to be helped by... me.... but I don't know if I've ever seen you cry. And, personally, I don't really want to have my jaw broken, thanks." He smiled, shrugging off Lily's puffy eyed glare. "Hop on." 

Turning towards Remus's house, shaking her finger at it with evil intentions in her head, she nodded. "You know I would've too." 

"My point exactly. Now, _come on_, I haven't got all day." He extended a hand, which Lily promptly refused, and for good reasons. Lily threw her right leg across the vehicle, and grabbed a hold of Sirius's jacket. 

"Now, take me home you pig." 

Sirius grinned. "That's sweet of you to think of me." He turned the gears, pulled the brakes, and the two of them were off into the sky, Lily's cries mingled with her screams.   


"You sure you don't want to come back? We'll welcome you back... well, you may not be welcome, but I'll bet if you pay them they'll let you rent a room." 

Lily smiled, and stepped off of the flying motorbike. "Thank you for taking me this far, Sirius. Tell Remus g'bye for me, okay?" She gave his motorbike a pat. "I thought you'd dump me off half way through, to be perfectly honest." Sirius gave her a cheeky grin. Lily returned it. Then she bent over and gave him a small kiss. Then she darted to her door. "Thanks again, Black." She opened the door and disappeared inside. 

Still extremely shocked, Sirius directed a jaunty wave at the house, then pulled the brakes forward, sending him flying backwards into a tree. "So, tomorrow at three, then?" 

* * * * * 

"I've told you multiple times, just go away..." She looked pitifully outside at the tawny owl hovering above her windowsill. Heaving a sigh, she unlatched the window and let the owl in. "I'm only doing this because I feel sorry for you." 

Lily bent down and untied the letter from the owl's leg. "Really, you think that you'd learn, I'm not responding. You had better not be coming here for the food." She grinned, then pulled out a key from her pocket, unlocking her own owl's cage, and refilling it's bowl with owl treats. "Go ahead, you're free to help yourself." 

The owl hooted contentedly, then dove into the owl treats. 

Lily giggled. "Maybe I was right about that last part." She reached over and grabbed the letter. Lazily, she read it as she unfurled it. 

_Dearest Lily___

_ You don't seem to be responding to my letters. Which is actually quite rude, as you're wasting much of my parchment. I know that you're reading this.... Just respond to me, damn it! I'm sorry for snapping that precious wand of yours... get over it, all right? You're being more headstrong than usual, and that's saying quite a bit. Give it up.___

_James___

_PS - Sirius keeps going on about how you kissed him. That's not fair, Evans._

Lily poked her tongue out, though she knew James could not see it. She turned her head to face James's owl, who was perched atop Mercedes' cage, his leg outstretched in anticipation. 

Shaking her head, she stalked over to the owl and put its leg down, aside its other. "Look, you, maybe you really _don't _learn. I'm not writing to that self absorbed loser. Ever. Again." 

The owl gave a disapproving stare, then shook its head. Lily scooped it up in her arms, then sat back down. "What? I hate his filthy guts, why should I write back?" The owl hooted softly and turned its back to her. 

Lily grew infuriated. "Listen, it's not my fault, its his! He's the one to blame, don't point your finger at me!" Her eyes widened and her face grew red as she realized that owls did not have fingers, and that she had been talking to an owl for the past five minutes. Angry with herself, she grabbed the owl and chucked it out of her window. 

"Be gone, you stupid owl, don't bring me any more of Potter's letters!" She shook her finger, then walked back over to her desk and grabbed the letter. Then. clutching it tightly to her chest, she walked timidly over to her fireplace, where she dropped the parchment and let it burn, where it's ashes joined those of more than twenty other letters, all ending with the same five letter signature. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

I'm tired. Don't expect a long A/N from me.

I'm sorry for being so mean. I've had this chapter finished for months. But it really isn't my fault. My computer got all screwed up. Blame it, not me. ^__^ Thank you.

That was yet another shorty from me. How did you like? For those who detest cliffs... well, that wasn't one, now, was it? [grins madly] Okay, that was a spur-of-the-moment type fic. It had no point, and was mainly stupid, retarded humor, I might as well tell you now. The ONLY THING I accomplished was to make Lily and James hate each other. I'm such a retard. But they are just - gonna - hafta - fit - together - somehow.... But I felt that I had to make a summer chapter. I'd never done one before. And now, I see why I didn't.

Credit goes to J.K. Rowling, as always. I really needn't put this in... I mean, it does say this at the top of my chapters. But I just don't feel compelte until I do. We all love you, Ms Rowling. Remember - RON HERMIONE ALL THE WAY!

Um.. about the whole Anne thing... I wanted another girl in this chapter, and as it was summer, I decided just to throw Anne in. Don't worry. I'll get rid of her... [cackles evilly]

Try to give me a nice review, okay? Its so very appreciated. I love you all (the ten or so of you who've actually reviewed... ^_^;;) please keep blessing the world with you blessings! That didn't make sense, but I'm very, very tired. G'night everybody!

~arch angel

P.S. That wasn't terribly tedious, was it? 


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